Whosoever attacks security forces is terrorist: JI

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, while condemning increasing incidents of terrorism in the country, has maintained that all those who are involved in attacks on officers and Jawans of security forces and civilians fall in definition of terrorists.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the JI top leader said that the government needed to initiate a national dialogue, end political polarization and create national consensus to curb menace of terrorism by covering all the aspects.

“Just increasing number of security posts, increasing number of troops and taking actions which invite reactions will not serve the purpose”, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said.

JI central Ameer Mian Muhammad Aslam and Islamabad Ameer Nasarullah Randhawa were also present on the occasion.

The JI central ameer strongly condemned a recent incident in Kalat in which brave soldiers were martyred and expressed his serious concerns over increasing terrorist acts particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

To a questions whether he considers TTP as terrorist organization, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman categorically said all those who attack security forces and their personnel who are performing their duties, and martyr them are terrorists. “All those who also accept responsibility for any terror attacks are also terrorists”, he said.

He also condemned target killings of political and religious personalities including JI Bajaur general secretary Sufi Muhammad Hameed. “This is matter of concern that such incidents of target killings are happening despite heavy deployment of security forces”, he said. He also called upon the government to re-visit its policy to curb terrorism, saying that Pakistan needed to come out of proxy wars of others observing that Afghan border previously used to be safe border.

He said that Afghanistan government would also have to demonstrate responsibility while the Pakistan government also required to review its policy against terrorism. “We are also ready to cooperate with the government for maintenance of peace”, he said. He said that continuous incidents of terrorism and target killings despite presence of security forces also create doubts in minds of people.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also alleged glaring rigging in bye elections on some union councils in Karachi asking the establishment to stop supporting Pakistan People’s Party. “The bye polls were rigged at will of establishment”, he said, adding both PPP and PMLN are in the government with support of establishment.

Observing that the winter package for electricity consumers was also an attempt to befool them saying that there should be direct relief in electricity bills and heavy taxes included in each bill. He said the government should also not give any understanding to IMF that it would discourage electricity consumers who have installed solar system.

To a question, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman requested Ulema of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to review Fatwa on use of software application ‘VPN’ which was declared as un-Islamic and against Shariat.

He said there should no access to anti-state and vulgar data and material but access to the right information should not be stopped. “One day X formerly tweeter and other software applications will also be declared as against Shariat”, he said adding that it depends on use or misuse of any facility or technology. He told a questioner that agriculture tax should be imposed on big landlords while small farmers should be given relief.