Fazlur Rehman Questions Pakistan’s Afghanistan Policy Amid Rising Tensions

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, questioned his government’s policies toward Afghanistan during a speech on Sunday at a gathering in Rawalpindi.

He sarcastically noted that while Pakistan claims terrorists are entering from Afghanistan, even a single pomegranate or melon cannot be imported from there. Fazlur Rehman stated, "You say terrorists are coming from there into Pakistan. Brother, if they are coming, stop them. If they are coming, eliminate them."

Reviewing historical relations, he said that from the era of Zahir Shah to communist governments, the Mujahideen and the Islamic Emirate, Pakistan has never established stable, tension-free ties with Kabul.

Fazlur Rehman attributed insecurity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to flawed domestic policies, warning that instability has now reached Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including attacks on worshippers in mosques. He criticized the government for lacking authority and creating narratives portraying Pakistan as the sole victim.

Political analyst Samiullah Ahmadzai said claims attributing Pakistan’s insecurity to Afghanistan, despite border closures and security posts along the Durand Line, aim to portray Afghanistan as insecure. Analyst Bilal Omar described it as reflecting weaknesses in Pakistan’s security institutions, with blame shifted to neighbors during crises.

The remarks follow Pakistan linking a deadly ISIS attack at a mosque in Islamabad on Friday to Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Defense responded that such attribution lacks logic and cannot conceal Pakistan’s security failures.