Tariq Saeed Peshawar
Lamenting that the Federal Government was connecting the seminaries with the terrorism, former president of the Pakistan Democratic Movement and JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman on Saturday warned that if his demands with regard to seminaries bill were not accepted, he will take his own course of action and would show how much pressure we can exert on the rulers.
“The JUI only wants the protection of seminaries instead of challenging the writ of the state. We have done the negotiations with you (Govt) instead of attacking the writ of the state. If our demands in line with the seminaries’ bill are not accepted, then we will tell you who can mount more pressure,” he declared while addressing an event in Noshehra on Saturday.
He said he had pointed out his reservations in front of the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government ahead of the elections adding the present rulers agreed to get the registration of the seminaries at the will of the seminaries but now they are attempting to delay the bill.
“The bill we made through the consensus during the PDM-led government had not been passed. The negotiations were made with us in line with the 26th constitutional amendment. Subsequently, the religious seminaries’ bill was presented. It is concerning that the bill was passed from the National Assembly and Senate, but President Asif Ali Zardari had rejected the bill and not signed it without raising reservations over the 26th constitutional amendment”.
He maintained that the president had not raised reservations over the 26th constitutional amendment.
Maulana Fazal said that they were actually fighting for the protection of the seminaries and our goal is to save religious seminaries from the government’s capsize.
He warned that attempts to create hurdles in the passage of the Seminaries cannot be tolerated at any cost and his party will take any step it could to protect the seminaries though we don’t want to challenge the writ of the state.
