Maulana Fazlur Rehman Criticizes Pakistan’s Afghanistan Policy Amid Security and Economic Concerns
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party, sharply criticized the Pakistani government’s policies towards Afghanistan during a public meeting on Sunday. He stated that Islamabad’s official narrative regarding security threats from Afghanistan does not align with the existing realities.
Referring to trade restrictions between the two countries, he pointed out that while not even a single pomegranate from Afghanistan can be transported into Pakistan, the government claims that militants easily cross the border into Pakistan. He questioned why security agencies do not prevent such crossings if they indeed occur.
Fazlur Rehman further asked critically that if armed individuals are really entering Pakistan from Afghanistan, why are they not arrested or stopped, and why is there no official transparent response to these claims.
He also highlighted divisions within Pakistan’s power structure, noting that there is no unified stance among the country’s military officials; one general emphasizes dialogue with Afghanistan, while another speaks of the option of war.
In another part of his speech, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader described Pakistan’s economic situation as alarming, stating that both capital and citizens are leaving the country. Without going into details, he remarked that the economic conditions of neighboring countries such as Iran, India, China, and Afghanistan appear to be better compared to Pakistan.
