QUETTA, May 28: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Monday that his party extended political and moral support to the Taliban because they had launched a jihad against the US forces in Afghanistan.

Addressing provincial and district leaders of his party, he said the Taliban were justified in launching a war against the foreign forces because their objective is to liberate their homeland.About corruption, Maulana Fazl said members of the JUI-F and ulema of seminaries were not involved in scandals like Mehran Bank or NRO or ‘bhatta khori’.

He said JUI-F would never allow the reopening of Nato supplies routes and asked the government to take a decision in light of recommendations of parliament on the issue.

He said it would be a shame for the nation if Pakistan reopened Nato supplies just to get dollars at the cost of national interest.

He said Yousuf Raza Gilani at the moment stood convicted for contempt of court but if Nato supplies routes were restored the prime minister would be guilty of committing contempt of parliament.

JUI-F’s provincial president Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, provincial ministers and senators belonging to the party also attended the meeting.