DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday advised the government to review policies as, according to him, the country was facing pressure and isolation in the region.
He expressed these views while addressing a ceremony organised by JUIF leader Kafeel Nizami at the Mufti Mahmood Markaz. The Maulana claimed the government holds two contradictory narratives on Afghanistan. He questioned why, despite 70 years of policies, relations with Afghanistan have not improved.
“We must reflect whether all the mistakes lie on Afghanistan’s side,” he remarked, adding that the mindset of trying to keep Afghanistan under influence must be abandoned. A free and sovereign Afghanistan, he emphasized, is in the best interest of the region.
Repeated attempts at regime change, he warned, have only worsened the situation, while past wars and policies have contributed to instability in the region.
Criticising the United States, he described its role as “dual-faced,” saying it adopts different positions at different times. He cautioned that Pakistan should not fall into any global trap and must pursue solutions based on sovereignty and realistic policymaking.
He said that Pakistan is increasingly facing isolation in relation to Afghanistan, India and Iran, while several regional countries are moving closer to India.
“We must decide where we stand and with whom we wish to engage,” he said, calling for a unified national approach rather than reliance on a single party’s policy.
