Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday issued a stern warning to the government and state institutions, urging them to stand “openly” with Iran and Gaza amid the ongoing regional conflict, stating that “if we do not stand with Iran today, tomorrow it will be Pakistan’s turn.”
Addressing the National Assembly, the veteran politician expressed grave concerns over what he described as the growing threat to Muslim nations in the region, particularly those opposing Israeli and Western aggression.
“Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and now Iran have been attacked. The enemies’ eyes are now fixed on Pakistan’s nuclear power,” he said, calling recent developments an “alarm bell” for Pakistan’s leadership and institutions.
Maulana Fazl emphasised that the unity of Jews and Hindus globally is rooted in “hostility to Islam,” and urged Pakistan to shed ambiguity in its foreign policy.
“We stand with Iran, and we want the state of Pakistan to declare its support for Iran and Gaza,” he said, comparing the current situation to the 1965 and 1971 wars between Pakistan and India. “Back then too, we were told not to respond. Today, Iran is being stopped from defending itself.”
‘Most powerful, yet the weakest’
He lamented Pakistan’s internal state of affairs, calling it the most powerful nuclear state in the Muslim world with the “weakest leadership and defence posture.” He said this strategic imbalance made Pakistan vulnerable to foreign conspiracies.
He criticised international bodies, stating, “The OIC has become nothing more than a showpiece. The UN and Security Council are now irrelevant.”
Israeli aggression and global silence
On the issue of Palestine, Maulana Fazl expressed deep anguish over what he called the “genocide of Palestinians.” He claimed over 60,000 people have been martyred, including 1,500 in the last two days, yet the world remains silent.
“Women, children and unarmed Muslims are being bathed in blood, and the international community watches without protest,” he said.
He also referred to the recent meeting between former US President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s military leadership, expressing scepticism. “I don’t know what was discussed, but I am certain Trump did not speak a word about the massacre in Gaza.”
'It was a war with Modi, not India'
Referring to past hostilities between Pakistan and India, Fazl said, “It was not a Pakistan-India war; it was a Pakistan-Modi war. The Indian people, the Sikh community, and the opposition parties did not support their own government. That is why India stood alone.”
Criticism of the government, IMF, and budget
In a wide-ranging speech, Maulana Fazl also launched a blistering critique of the federal budget and the government's conduct. “This budget is not the government’s. It has been crafted by the IMF and merely read aloud in Parliament,” he alleged.
He further accused the Prime Minister of stopping development funds for projects inaugurated in JUI-F strongholds. “The government lacks both capacity and tolerance. Every dissenting voice is silenced,” he said.
Objection to child marriage legislation
The JUI-F chief strongly objected to the proposed child marriage bill being debated in Parliament, claiming it contradicted Islamic teachings. “In an Islamic state, we are making a lawful act like marriage difficult, while making forbidden acts like adultery easy,” he said.
He urged for the bill to be openly debated and said the nation must “choose between the darkness of NGO-led liberal thinking and the light of the Quran and Sunnah.”
Call for justice and revolution
Concluding his address, Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for a national awakening. “Force cannot run the economy. Justice must be given to the nation,” he said, calling for an end to traditional politics and a new era of revolutionary thought.
He stressed that people must be empowered to find solutions to their own problems, warning that ignoring the voice of the people would only deepen national crises.
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