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Kabul/Islamabad, December 1 (IANS): Leading Pakistani cleric and head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party Fazlur Rehman has slammed the Pakistani government's policy towards Afghanistan, asserting that it has "failed" completely as tensions between the two neighbours continue to rise over the past few months.
"In 78 years, Pakistan has not been able to make Afghanistan its friend. You only know war. You cannot solve this problem," Rehman was quoted as saying by Afghan media outlet Amu TV while speaking at a gathering in Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Urging Islamabad to reassess its regional strategy amid rising tensions with the Taliban administration, Rehman stated that Pakistan has been unable to build lasting trust with Afghanistan. He urged the ruling Pakistani establishment to
"review its policies" for peace in the region.
The top cleric's remarks come as tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban have intensified in recent months, with both sides trading warnings and public accusations.
"On Saturday, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad was prepared to launch a 'clearing operation' inside Afghanistan during the height of the recent standoff, but halted the plan following urgent requests from Qatar," the report mentioned.
The Pakistani leader also accused the government led by Shehbaz Sharif of destroying the country's economy, stating that it is not the Pakistan the people had hoped for.
"Fazl said his party wanted a country where there is peace and people can breathe freely. The government must give people their rights. The JUI-F chief said the Constitution has been turned into a toy, and instead of people's aspirations, the wishes of influential individuals are being imposed," leading Pakistani daily 'The Express Tribune' reported on Monday.
"Lawmakers were bought for getting the 27th Constitutional Amendment passed; it was passed with a fake majority, he claimed. Fazl also claimed that the federal government had put the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project on hold, apparently at the behest of the West," the report added.
