Leaders of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) on Friday remained mum over the assassination of 15 soldiers of Frontier Constabulary and influence of thousands of local and foreign militants while addressing a well-attended public gathering in Mirali, the second largest town in North Waziristan Agency.
The JUI-F arranged the rally in Mirali for commemorating the services of late tribal MNA Maulana Mohammad Deendar, who breathed his last a couple of months ago.
Deendar remained MNA in 1993 and was the first amongst tribesmen who backed the emergence of the Taliban and banned Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi.
He was in contact with al Qaeda fugitives and arranged the marriage of his grand daughter with an Arab national.
The JUI-F conference was addressed among others by party’s provincial chief Sheikh Aman Ullah, Maulana Ataur Rehman, Mufti Kifayat Ullah and Mufti Abdul Shakoor.
Former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani and Maulana Gul Nasib Khan were unable to address the gathering.
Almost all JUI-F leaders focused their speeches on what they called “wrong policies of present government, particularly in the war on terror”.
Such policies, they claimed, aimed at “getting the blessing of the US and its allies”.
They said military action was leading to the killing of innocent people and on such grounds, they demanded an immediate halt to the offensive against the Taliban militants across the Tribal Areas.
But at the same time, the JUI-F leaders remained silent over the establishment of “a state with in a state” by the militants in Waziristan.
They time and again used the words “mujahideen” and “jihad” for all those who are killing innocent personnel of the security forces and blowing up schools across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the name of “jihad against the US”.
Mufti Kifayat Ullah, who is an MPA from Mansehra, said, “Everyone is talking about democracy, constitutions and institutions but no one realises his responsibility towards Quran and Sunna.”
He said only the JUI-F was sincere to the Islamic cause.
During the rally, JUI-F leaders denounced the US presence, particularly its drone operations in Waziristan region, with the audience endorsing the condemnation with raised arms and loud sloganeering.
The JUI-F urged the government to force the US to halt drone attacks.
Likewise, they also asked for continuation of sanctions against US-led allied troops in Afghanistan, especially the ban on supplies.
