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The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief’s primary ire was directed at the inclusion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the US-sponsored board
US President Donald Trump with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House. File image
In a scathing indictment of Pakistan’s current foreign and domestic policy, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has vehemently rejected the newly formed Gaza Board of Peace (BoP)terming it a betrayal of both Islamic principles and Palestinian sovereignty, CNN-News18 has learnt. Addressing a large gathering on Thursday, the veteran cleric warned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to distance the country from what he described as an “oppressive” and “coercive” international alliance.
The Maulana’s primary ire was directed at the inclusion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the US-sponsored board. “Netanyahu, the butcher of Palestine and the root of all mischief, has been made a member, yet the Palestinians themselves are excluded,” he remarked. He questioned the logic of a peace process that mandates the disarmament of Hamas—whom he called the “real party” to the conflict—while sitting side-by-side with the architects of the Gaza bombings.
Fazlur-Rehman warned that the Shehbaz government is leading Pakistan into a trap by participating in a campaign that aligns with the “naked dictatorship of the East” and the “cruel system of the West”. He noted with irony that even European nations are hesitant to join this board, yet Pakistani rulers seem eager to facilitate it. He argued that Pakistan’s policies are being made under international pressure rather than in the national interest. “To associate hope with those by whose hands all this happened is to make a fool of oneself,” he added.
The JUI-F chief reminded the government of Pakistan’s founding principles, noting that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared Israel “illegitimate” upon its inception in 1948. He contrasted this historical clarity with the current administration’s “hollow” approach, accusing them of ignoring the sayings of the founder on a sensitive issue like the First Qibla (Al-Aqsa). He also compared the lack of transparency today to the 1972 Simla Agreement, noting that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took the entire House and Opposition into confidence despite having 90,000 prisoners of war. “This House is not an elected house, but even so, did you ever take it—or even the Cabinet—into confidence?” he asked.
Linking the external crisis to a “collapsing” democratic system at home, Maulana Fazl delivered a stinging critique of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, which has recently formalised the “Chief of Defence Forces” post and granted sweeping immunities to top military leadership. He demanded a rollback of these exemptions and a return to “natural lawmaking” that respects provincial rights and Islamic values.
He blasted recent legislative moves, particularly those concerning the age of marriage, as being contrary to Sharia. “Is it a republic when the government legislates on forbidden (Haram) issues at will?” he asked, mourning the declaration of marriage under 18 as equivalent to adultery.
Announcing that February 8 would be observed as a “Black Day”, he described the current parliamentary majority as “forced” and “fake”.
The Maulana highlighted the hypocrisy of seeking “peace” in Gaza while his own districts in Pakistan are “handed over to armed people”. He alleged that in areas like Lakki Marwat and Tank, security agencies have ceded control to militants who collect extortion from government officials and contractors. “My entire districts are handed over to armed people; no construction can happen until they are paid tax,” he claimed, adding that even his own children are no longer safe. By rejecting the Gaza Board of Peace and calling for a nationwide protest, Fazl-ur-Rehman has positioned the JUI-F as the primary challenger to the Shehbaz-Munir “hybrid” governance model.
January 22, 2026, 5:06 PM IST
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