LAHORE: Taking a dig at the “helpless government” of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Wed­nesday that it was useless complaining to him since he did not enjoy “real powers”.

“We need to talk to those who wield real power,” the Maulana said in an address to a conference on the Palestinian issue, organised by the Jamiat Ahle Hadith.

Prof Sajid Mir, the chief of Jamiat Ahle Hadith, presided over the event.

The JUI-F chief said it was time for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government to spell out its stance on major issues and to “reveal its plans”.

Explaining Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s remarks, a spokesman for the JUI-F later said the party was trying to create awareness among the masses as “they are the real power”.

“The party believes that once the nation learns who are the real people behind happenings in the country, it will be easy to deal with real issues,” Ghazanfer Aziz said.

Maulana Fazl defended the Hamas raid on Israel, saying it was carried out to make the world aware of the plight of Palestinians. “Hamas is fighting for a just cause and the nation stands by it,” he observed, warning the government against “any attempt” to recognise Israel.

Pakistan should understand the Palestine question’s genesis, the Maulana said. There was no state by the name of Israel 80 years ago while Palestine’s existence went back centuries, he added.

The JUI-F chief recalled that the Ottoman Empire had turned down requests by the West to allow Jewish settlements in Palestine.

“Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had termed the Israeli state illegal, likening it to stabbing the Arabs in the heart,” Maulana Fazl said.

He called upon the Army and politicians to “respect the order” of Pakistan’s founder and resolve never to accept Israel as a state.

He said the United States was the biggest violator of human rights and remained silent on the killing of 35,000 Palestinians.

“The USA is the only country to have used the atomic bomb, which killed millions of Japanese. But it ran away after sensing defeat in Afghanistan and is no longer a super power.”

The Maulana said his party would mark the 50th anniversary of the 1974 decision to declare Ahmadis as non-Muslim by holding a “grand event” at the Minar-i- Pakistan on Sept 7 this year.

Maulana Muhammad Amjad Khan, Hafiz Nasir Ahmed Ahraar and Hafiz Ghazanfar Aziz were also present at the conference.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2024