Fazlur Rehman hints at Islamabad march, condemns 27th Amendment

MARDAN (Dunya News) — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday said that his party will “not change its path” and could march towards Islamabad if the situation demands it.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the completion of Hifz-ul-Quran at Jamia Islamia in Babuzai, Mardan, Fazlur Rehman said Pakistan was meant to be a country of Islamic hopes, where people could freely practice their faith without fear.

He said the country should have been “a symbol of peace, brotherhood, and freedom,” adding that it is the responsibility of governments to protect the rights of citizens. However, he lamented that the Constitution had been turned into a “plaything,” where amendments were being made not for the public good but to satisfy powerful individuals.

The JUI-F chief criticised the recent approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, claiming that lawmakers were “bought to create a hollow two-thirds majority.” He said the public’s aspirations had been “stabbed in the back.”

Fazlur Rehman also took aim at the government’s foreign and economic policies, saying CPEC was “still lying dormant,” and Pakistan’s diplomacy on Afghanistan had “fallen flat.” He warned that talking about war would not solve problems, saying, “War never settles anything.”

Referring to US President Donald Trump, the JUI-F leader said, “Trump’s hands are dripping with Palestinian blood, and yet Shehbaz Sharif talks about giving him the Nobel Peace Prize — this is beyond comprehension.”

He urged both Pakistan and Afghanistan to rethink their approach, insisting that he does not support armed actions and calling on militant groups to lay down their weapons.

Reaffirming his political stance, Fazlur Rehman said his movement would stay the course. “We won’t change our direction. If need be, we will head straight to Islamabad,” he said, warning that the country’s economy had “gone down the drain” and needed urgent attention.