Fazl rejects political interference

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Sunday that decisions for the sake of an individual could not be accepted, stressing that attitudes need to change. Addressing a JUI-F convention in Peshawar, he stated that his party believed in Pakistan having a strong defence capability, but emphasised that the military has no right to interfere in politics. Fazl said that JUI-F had called for a joint opposition, but recently legislation was passed within half an hour. He stated that opposition meetings focused on the prevailing situation, claiming that opposition parties in parliament had not examined the recent legislation closely and that the laws conflict with the Constitution. He alleged that the legislation was enacted to strengthen the establishment, changing the powers of the prime minister to take precedence over all other laws. He said powers that should belong to parliament have been handed over to one individual, with provision that any further required legislation will be decided by the federal government—effectively removing parliament from the process. He said that parliament cannot pass any law contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. "If 40% of parliament members demand an issue be referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), it must be referred there. The issue of the 26th Amendment was referred to the CII by a majority vote, but it has still not been implemented. Fazl stated that society needs justice and governance and it cannot be sustained through oppression, warning that a hard state will create suffocation and alienate the public. He added that lawlessness has increased to the point where the government's writ has disappeared In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu and Lakki Marwat, nobody is listening to district police officers (DPOs), and the inspector general of police's orders are not being implemented. The police chain of command has broken down, he added. "Constables have taken the system into their own hands, forming independent peace committees and operating out of uniform. Checkpoints have also been established on highways across the province," the JUI-F chief told the gathering. In Balochistan, he continued, government's writ has disappeared. He criticised assertions that Balochistan could be controlled by a single Thanedar (police officer), urging officials to look at the facts regarding what has happened to police stations and officers. Addressing administrative structures, Fazl recalled that his party had strongly opposed the merger of FATA. He questioned why provinces are being broken up today and noted that while the 18th Amendment provided for an increase in provincial revenues under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, there is now talk regarding the provinces for a new NFC Award. He advised that breaking up the provinces at this time is in no way appropriate.