PESHAWAR:
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said in Kabul that India can never be friendly to the Afghans and Afghan territory must never be allowed to be used against Pakistan.
“I want to tell the Afghan government that India can never be your friend. In difficult times, India will not stand with you, it will party,” Naeem said at a rally in Peshawar on Sunday.
On Saturday evening, Afghan forces opened fire at several locations along the border, including in Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir and Chitral areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Zhob district of Balochistan province.
The Pakistani army responded quickly and forcefully and its retaliation resulted in the deaths of 200 members of the Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP). Twenty-three soldiers of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom during the clashes. The attack from the Afghan side took place when Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi was on an official visit to India.
Referring to the confrontation, Naeem stressed the need to immediately restore peace and mutual trust between the two countries. He also called on Afghanistan not to allow its territory to be used against Pakistan and advocated a joint action plan against terrorism.
The JI chief urged the Pakistani and Afghan governments to immediately begin peace talks. He said the hearts of the people of the two countries beat together, but strategic errors have made the situation worse. “Both countries should resolve their issues through negotiation. We should not fight among ourselves,” he said.
Hafiz Naeem also sharply criticized domestic politics and the system of governance. He said that for 35 years, power has rested with the establishment, which should have recognized its failures and returned authority to politicians.
He argued that the current system must change and that the MOC is the only real force capable of bringing about a revolution. “We will start the process of changing the system from Minar-e-Pakistan (Lahore),” he told the participants.
He called bureaucracy a legacy of the British era and said its improper use had produced economic injustices. “The bank balances and properties of bureaucrats and government officials were built on the backs of our pockets,” he said.
He also questioned the authority of the judiciary, saying the courts became powerless after the 26th constitutional amendment.
Naeem also criticized the international community’s indifference to Palestinian suffering. He said that because Muslim and Arab states are weak, Israel is killing Muslims.
“We are an ideological nation – we will never recognize Israel.” He called on the nation to stand united and take a clear stand against recognition of Israel.
