Fazlur Rehman says past operations destroyed tribal areas' progress

PESHAWAR: The chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) on Thursday opposed operation Azm-e-Istehkam in the grand jirga, stating that the past operations destroyed the progress of tribal areas, ARY News reported.

While talking to the media in Peshawar, Maulana Fazlur Rehman highlighted that after the previous operation, the people when returned to their homes in FATA, found their residences destroyed during the armed operations.

He criticized the government for blaming Afghanistan whenever there was an incident of terrorism in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.

“When questioned about how the terrorists crossed the Pak-Afghan border despite the fence, the response was that the fence had been pulled off,” he stated.

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He pointed out that Pakistan addresses infiltration issues with Iran through dialogue, suggesting that a similar approach should be taken with Afghanistan.

“The stability between Pakistan and Afghanistan is mutually important, as a responsible state we have to negotiate to resolve conflicts,” he suggested.

The JUI-F chief expressed frustration over-hasty decisions and provocations, stating that such actions destabilize the region.

He questioned whether the goal is to destabilize Afghanistan instead of stabilizing it, and urged for commitments to peaceful resolutions and stability in the region.