Fazl Street Agitation Hint Over KP Resources Row
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has hinted at a Fazl street agitation, telling a workers convention in Mansehra on Tuesday that his party would never allow the government to plunder natural resources or deprive people of their democratic rights.
“The government wants to divide the nation and create conflict to plunder natural resources. We will never allow it to undermine democracy, politics and rights of people. JUI-F stands firm against such anti-people policies and actions,” he told the convention.
He urged workers to stand firmly with him as he prepared to launch a street agitation. “I see you as the strongest force in the country. You must stand firm against oppression and adversity, as activists of no other party dare to stand up at this critical juncture,” he said.
The setting matters. Mansehra sits in Hazara division, and the convention drew workers from a region where JUI-F has long organised. The warning was framed not as a single grievance, but as a defence of provincial resources and democratic rights, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the centre of the argument.
KP resources behind the Fazl street agitation warning
Fazl said JUI-F was the only political force playing the role of a genuine opposition by raising its voice inside and outside parliament against what he called illegal centres of power, anti-national policies and interference of foreign powers.
“We will not allow anyone to plunder Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the name of terrorism. The province’s natural resources belong equally to its indigenous communities,” he said.
He questioned the effectiveness of successive governments’ counterterrorism policies, saying billions of dollars had been received for the fight against terrorism and 13 operations had been conducted since 2010, yet militancy continued to increase and innocent people were being killed.
He said people were the custodians and owners of the country’s resources, but those questioning the government’s performance were subjected to character assassination. He added that the government should not expect his party to compromise on its principles or deviate from its stance on the enforcement of true democracy, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fata status and a drone complaint
JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Attaur Rahman said the party would not accept revival of the status of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) without taking tribesmen into confidence.
“PPP and PML-N are two faces of the same coin, as both have been playing in the hands of establishment. They first changed the tribal status of Fata and now reversed it without taking indigenous people into confidence,” he said.
JUI-F general secretary in Punjab, Maulana Ajmal Khan, condemned the reported drone flight over Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s residence and called for an immediate end to such acts. He said the government should not cross its limits to compel JUI-F workers to come forward for the security of their leader.
“We don’t want to take law into our hands. This is why we are peaceful, but we want to make it clear that we wouldn’t tolerate any attack on the dignity of our leaders’ honour through such immoral acts of propagating against him and his family members,” he said.
Provincial office-bearers told the convention that workers were ready to stand with their leader. Malik Waheed, former divisional president of the PPP in Hazara, announced his decision to join JUI-F after parting ways with the PPP.
No date, venue or programme for any street agitation has been announced. For now, the statement stands as a warning: JUI-F says it is preparing to take its campaign over resources and democratic rights beyond parliament and onto the streets.
Related coverage: Fazlur Rehman charter of democracy on KP rule, JUI-F KP leaders quit alliance, PTI dismisses internal rifts over talks, Khawaja Asif blames PTI TTP policy for KP crisis.
The warning follows Fazl questioning the ex-FATA merger, the PHC sending Afridi detention petitions to a larger bench, the Mohmand polio team incident, and the committee warning on GSP+ access.
Frequently asked questions
What did Fazlur Rahman hint at in Mansehra?
At a JUI-F workers convention in Mansehra on Tuesday, Maulana Fazlur Rahman hinted at launching a street agitation, saying his party would not allow the government to plunder natural resources or deprive people of democratic rights.
Why did he raise Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s resources?
He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s natural resources belong equally to its indigenous communities, and that his party would not allow anyone to plunder the province in the name of terrorism.
What did he say about counterterrorism policy?
He questioned the effectiveness of successive governments’ counterterrorism policies, noting billions of dollars received for the fight against terrorism and 13 operations since 2010, while militancy continued to increase.
What was said about Fata’s status?
JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Attaur Rahman said the party would not accept revival of the former Fata status without taking tribesmen into confidence, criticising both the PPP and PML-N on the issue.
Has a date for street agitation been announced?
No. No date, venue or programme has been announced, so the statement stands as a warning rather than a confirmed protest plan.
