LAHORE – Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said on Saturday thatclosing doors of dialogue with the government by the JUI-F could damagedemocracy.
Speaking at a press conference at the Railways Headquarters here, he saidthat JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had not yet announced any sit-in;however, he could not become a prime minister in any case.He said that more than 600 politicians would face consequences in casedemocracy was derailed due to the Mualana’s protest.
He said that Fazlur Rehman’s protest would damage Kashmir issue also bydiverting the attention of people from atrocities of Indian forces in theoccupied Kashmir.
The minister said that the government was ready to provide face-saving tothe Maulana and Prime Minister Imran Khan had made a committee for dialoguewith the JUI-F.
Sh Rashid said that the nation had not forgotten when the Maulana offeredhis services to the US for becoming prime minister besides resolving theAfghanistan issue.
He alleged that Fazlur Rehman used Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto Shaheedfor his personal interests.
“I am not worried about Fazlur Rehman, I am worried about madrasas and theUlema who are already a target of Western media,” he said. The minister said that madrassas were symbols of Islam but what wasFazl expressing through baton wielders who looked like terrorists.He alleged that Fazlur Rehman had never visited the tomb of HazratQuaid-e-Azam (RA), but he considered it an honour for him when he visitedSikh’s golden temple.He said that all politicians of opposition could be settled down if todayImran announced an NRO, which he would never announce at any cost.To a question, Sh Rashid said that time was an important factor inpolitics, adding that those institutions were worried about nationalsolidarity as well as about the expected anarchy in the country.
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“Whenever, Ulema ran any movement, martial law was imposed,” he added.He said that politicians should use their brains that the current situationwas not suitable for any protest. “I am representative of religion, but theall Muslim countries are under pressure currently,” he said.
He hoped that some other way out would be found out before the start of theproposed ‘Azadi march’.To another question, he said that Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari weresupporting Fazl, but it would not bring about any change in the rulingset-up and Prime Minister Imran would complete his five-year term.He said that nothing was permanent in politics and political friends andfoes keep changing in the changing times.He said that it was Imran who talked of the State of Madina for the firsttime in Pakistan, otherwise all political leaders always talked aboutbringing liberalism or something else.”It is also for the first time that Pakistan is enjoying pleasant situationwhen Prime Minister Imran and Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa are onthe same page as far as running of the state affairs was concerned,” headded.He said that National Action Plan was also under progress and everyoneshould be careful regarding national security.
The minister said that a new movement was being initiated in India, whichwould affect that country at large scale. However, he regretted that theopposition leadership in Pakistan was providing an opportunity to theIndian government to slow down that movement.
“No doubt there is inflation in the country, but Nawaz, Zardari and Shehbazare responsible for this inflation, whodestroyed the economy and looted the national wealth,” he added.
However, he said that economy was showing positive signs due to efforts ofthe incumbent government. He expressed his optimism that economy wouldimprove within three years.