Fazal says politics of protests to affect CPEC

F.P. Report

LAHORE: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman has said the politics of protests will affect the CPEC project in a big way.

Taking to journalists at Jamia Madina (a religious seminary) Karim Park here on Friday, he said the country could no more afford sit-in and agitation in present circumstances.

The head of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam earlier headed his party’s core committee meeting which was called in Lahore to devise the election strategy in light of the formation of Muthida Majlise Amal (MMA), a conglomerate of five religious organisations recently revived to contest next general election unanimously.

Although the revival of the MMA was announced at Jamaat-e-Islami head office Mansora on November 9, a committee of the parties part of the alliance was made to discuss the possibilities of inclusion of more group into it. The next meeting of the MMA will be held at residence of Shah Awais Noorani, JUP-Imam Noorani secretary general, at Karachi in last week of December.

Besides the JUI-F and JI, Pir Ijaz Hashmi’s JUP-Imam Noorani (a Brelvi group), Professor Sajid Mir’s Markzi Jamiat Ahlehadith and Islami Tehreek (Shia organisation) of Allama Sajid Naqvi and JUI-S of Maulana Samiul Haq were part of the MMA. However, Maulana Sami had left the alliance just two weeks after the formation of the alliance.

Maulana Fazal said the Maulana Sami’s departure from the MMA would not bring any loss to the alliance.

“What we can do with Maulana Sami if he is not ready to accept our respect to him,” he said when a reporter asked him how he saw the future of the MMA after the separation of JUI-S from it.

Maulana Fazal said the politics on Khatme Nabowat (finality of the prophet-hood) issue was not a good omen for the country as the matter was already settled in the parliament. To a question, he replied the meeting between Zardari and Qadri put him in surprise. “I wonder what kind of helplessness forced PPP co-chairman to meet Qadri,” he said.

However, he said the political parties were making these moves in connection with preparations for next election.

JUI-F leader predicted future of PTI chairman as bleak, saying Imran Khan’s party will mere act as pressure group in next election. Not only this according to him, PTI will vanish from country’s political scenario soon after the next general election.

The JUI-F chief condemned the US president announcement to accept Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and said the move had put Muslim world and especially Middle East into another crisis.