Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, has said Afghanistan belongs to the Pashtuns and Afghans, responding to criticism from his political opponents over his support for the country.
Speaking at a gathering of his party’s social media activists in Peshawar on Monday, 2 November, he said those who advised him to move to Afghanistan should examine their own history and their ancestors’ links with the British before telling him where to go.
Mr Fazl-ur-Rehman said those critics should go to Britain instead of Afghanistan.
He also referred to remarks by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, saying he regarded him as an elder brother and had initially taken his comments as a joke. However, he said he was surprised by Mr Asif’s strong reaction.
The JUI-F leader also criticised the closure of legal trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, arguing that while legitimate trade had been restricted, smuggling routes remained active.
He further questioned the imposition of emergency measures in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming that actions carried out in the name of counter-terrorism were linked to the region’s mineral resources and economic interests.
Mr Fazl-ur-Rehman called for transparency over agreements concerning natural resources in the tribal districts, saying local communities should be informed about decisions involving their economic assets.
