• JUI-F renews support to Afghan Taliban, slams MNA for blaming Kabul over terrorism in Pakistan
• Mohsin Dawar censures ‘facilitators’ of Doha deal, demands updated charter of democracy

ISLAMABAD: Only a day before the planned dissolution of the National Assembly, differences surfaced within the ruling allies on the issue of Afghan policy as Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) leader Asad Mehmood lashed out at Mohsin Dawar, an independent lawmaker from North Waziristan, when the latter blamed the Taliban’s government in Kabul for the recent terror spate in Pakistan.

In his hard-hitting speech on Tuesday, the JUI-F leader accused Mr Dawar of becoming a “US mouthpiece” and vowed to continue his party’s support to the Islamic Emirate, headed by Taliban in Afghanistan. He particularly took exception to Mr Dawar’s remarks that the “hands of those people who had celebrated Taliban takeover in Afghanistan are stained with the blood of innocent people dying in terrorism incidents.”

The JUI-F legislator and son of party head Maulana Fazlur Rehman said: “When a US-backed puppet rules Afghanistan, you celebrate it and participate in their events and when Islamic Emirate is established, you start looking blood in the hands of others.”

He said they had considered the Afghans’ war against the foreign forces a ‘Jihad’ on the pattern of their support to the people of Kashmir. “We are supporting Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan like we do in Kashmir,” he remarked.

Double standards

“When we were opposing military operations [against terrorism in the tribal areas], you were inviting the army to carry out operations. When fulfilling your desire, the army launched operations, you formed a Pashtun organisation and started abusing the army,” said the JUI-F leader in an apparent reference to the formation of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). “These double standards are not acceptable to us,” he said.

“We condemn the act of targeting security forces.”

At a recent meeting of tribal elders with Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir, the latter made it clear that both Pakistan and Afghanistan needed to adopt a ‘joint strategy’ to deal with the situation as Pakistan did not want to interfere in Afghanistan, Maulana Asad recalled.

Mr Dawar was not present in the house to respond to JUI-F leader’s assertions.

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf asked the members not to talk on contentious issues, urging them to ensure ‘happy ending’ of the assembly.

Two bills passed

Meanwhile, the National Assembly on the last private member’s day passed two more bills, one seeking establishment of a private university in Islamabad and the other titled ‘Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Bill, 2023’, after the speaker allowed their presentation through a supplementary agenda.

At the outset of the sitting, Mr Dawar in his farewell speech expressed serious concern over a rise in terrorism in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and criticised the Afghan policy.

Doha deal

While referring to the July 30 suicide bombing on a JUI-F convention in Bajaur, the MNA said the renewed wave of terrorism was a result of the 45-year-old faulty Afghan policy. He regretted Pakistan’s role in the Doha agreement between the US and the Taliban, alleging that a new war had started in the region after the Doha deal.

“Taliban were imposed on Afghanistan. Then in the guise of talks, Taliban were allowed to settle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” Mr Dawar said.

“We as a state facilitated the whole game. First we facilitated the Doha agreement and then we facilitated Taliban takeover in Afghanistan,” he alleged.

The MNA said that the National Security Committee in a recent meeting was informed that there had been 100 per cent rise in terrorism in Pakistan, since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan.

“Those who had celebrated the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan are responsible for terrorism [in Pakistan],” he said, alleging “their hands are stained in bloods.”

He alleged it seemed there was a plan to impose the Taliban in KP as well like in Afghanistan as the Taliban had already appointed shadow governors and intelligence chief.

Hasty legislation

Also, Mr Dawar criticised the government for doing hasty legislation and warned that the amended Official Secrets Act could be used against any political party in future.

The MNA from North Waziristan regretted the government’s move to dissolve the assembly three days before completion of its five-year term and feared that elections could further be delayed after the last-minute approval of the digital census by the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

‘Updated charter’

“If we will offer driving seat to others, then matters will not remain in our hands and decisions will be made by others,” he said while fearing delay in the polls for years. He also stressed the need for engaging political parties to discuss an “updated charter of democracy”. The speaker then adjourned the sitting till 2pm on Wednesday. Besides, a joint sitting of the parliament has been convened on Wednesday evening.

Journalists protest

Meanwhile, reporters covering NA proceedings staged a walkout for the second straight day over the withdrawal of the Pemra amendment bill after it was opposed by a few TV anchors. The bill has already been passed by the NA and the upper house is expected to take up a committee report on the bill today (Wednesday).

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2023