ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said Afghanistan’s territory must never be used for destabilising Pakistan, and it is the Afghan government’s responsibility to curb cross-border terrorism.
Speaking at a tribal peace Jirga, organised by the JI here on Wednesday, the party’s top leader strongly criticised what he termed a “US agenda” of pitting Pakistan and Afghanistan against each other and called for holding meaningful dialogue between the two nations, urging both the sides to respect each other’s sovereignty, independence and dignity.
He warned against further displacement experiments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), saying that playing with fire in the region was dangerous.
Rehman emphasised that military operations were not a solution to establishing lasting peace. Instead, there was a need to address the root causes of terrorism, he stressed.
“The people of Pakistan demand peace at all costs. If we are not given a peaceful and stable Pakistan, we must at least ensure one for future generations,” he said.
He also stressed the need to engage China, Iran and Russia for regional peace and security. “The Pakistani nation will not accept playing the role of a proxy for US interests,” he said, urging the government and institutions to take all political stakeholders into confidence to ensure lasting peace.
Rehman lamented that Pakistan, once a beacon of hope for the Muslim world and oppressed people globally, had been weakened by its ruling elite. “The situation has deteriorated to a point where we are now begging for peace,” he said, blaming successive governments for the crises.
He attributed Pakistan’s internal security challenges to its involvement in America’s so-called war on terror, calling it a historic blunder initiated under former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. “A few individuals made that decision, and today, 250 million Pakistanis are paying the price,” he remarked.
Quoting Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the JI chief said there was never a need to deploy the army in the tribal areas, as the region had exemplary peace before Pakistan joined the US-led war on terror.
“The trust deficit between Pakistan and Afghanistan stems from that decision, which plunged the entire region into chaos. The biggest beneficiaries of this instability have been anti-Pakistan forces, including India’s intelligence agency RAW,” he added. Reaffirming JI’s stance against military operations, Rehman said true peace can only be achieved by providing facilities and employment opportunities to the people. He recalled how the JI’s past leadership had also opposed military operations but was wrongly accused of being anti-Pakistan.
He urged the government to bring all political stakeholders together to restore peace in KP, Balochistan and across Pakistan. He, however, added that if the government failed to take this initiative, the JI will continue its efforts independently, mobilising the public and engaging with political parties for a peaceful and stable Pakistan. The Jirga was attended by tribal elders and leaders from various political parties.