SUKKUR: Chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that a terrorist is a terrorist whether he is bearded or beardless, wears trousers and shirt or a shalwar kameez, or whether he is a parliamentarian or a common man; if one is a terrorist, he should be given severe punishment.

He said there should be no military courts in a democratic country.

“We have supported military courts only because of the prevailing situation in the country,” he said while addressing an ulema convention held at Manzil Gah Mosque in Sukkur on Wednesday.

He said civil courts had many weaknesses which should be rectified and all institutions were required to perform their duties and provide justice to the common man.

He said despite the fact that Pakistan had become a big military power and there was relative peace in the country as compared to the past, the recent wave of terrorism had created fear among the people.

Restoration and maintenance of peace was the responsibility of the state, he added.

He also criticised PTI chief Imran Khan for his unflattering remarks about foreign cricketers who played in the Pakistan Super League final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore recently.

Amongst those who also spoke at the convention included JUI-F Sindh general secretary Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro, Abdul Qayoom Halejvi, Siraj Ahmed Amroti and others.

Action against Pakhtuns condemned

JUI-F MNA Maulana Ameer Zaman has condemned the arrest of members of the Pakhtun community by police on what he described as ‘flimsy’ grounds and added that the Sindh government should desist from linking every bearded man with terrorism.

He was speaking to journalists in new Hyderabad city on Wednesday at the residence of a party supporter.

JUI-F leaders Maulana Taj Mohammed Nahiyoon, Azam Jehangiri and others were also present.

Mr Zaman claimed that the Pakhtuns were JUI-F supporters and they were being harassed by police on the ground that they were ‘illegal immigrants’.

“Pakistan has disintegrated because of such environment of hatred. If people of one community are arrested or imprisoned it would lead to hatred, which would not be beneficial for Pakistan,” he added.

“Every man having a beard or wearing a turban is not a terrorist.”

The JUI-F condemned terrorism in all its manifestations. Terrorism could not be linked with Islam, madressahs and ulema, he added.

He said police were arresting underage boys who did not possess national identity cards as they were not adults.

“Such actions are a conspiracy against army. It would sabotage the Zarb-i-Azb and Raddul Fasaad operations.”

The army made major gains in the fight against terrorism, but the police were wasting these gains through their ‘biased’ actions against the Pakhtuns. The police should be refrained from declaring every Pakhtun a terrorist, he added.

He warned that if such acts continued the JUI-F would launch agitation and the government would not be able to face it.

He said that the JUI-F was holding its centenary celebrations in Nowshera which would be attended by the Imam of the grand mosque of Makkah on April 7-9.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2017