RASC News Agency: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, leader of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party and a long-time ideological patron of the Taliban, has asserted that Islamabad should not attribute Pakistan’s growing insecurity to the Taliban. Speaking at a press conference, the influential cleric renowned for his unwavering support of jihadist movements and militancy in Afghanistan analyzed Pakistan’s deteriorating security situation and criticized the government’s stance toward the Afghanistani Taliban. He dismissed accusations against the group as unfounded, arguing that blaming the Taliban for Pakistan’s internal instability is both misleading and counterproductive.
Fazlur Rehman contended that the origins of armed militancy in Pakistan lie within the country’s own military establishment. Rather than scapegoating the Taliban, he insisted, Islamabad should critically examine the role of its own security apparatus in fostering extremist groups. He emphasized that achieving lasting stability requires an in-depth assessment of the root causes of militancy and strategic miscalculations that have fueled decades of unrest. The cleric further suggested that Pakistan must adopt a pragmatic approach in dealing with the Taliban. Referring to Afghanistan’s decades-long proxy wars, he remarked that “the footprints of every global militant and military force trace back to Pakistan.”
He noted that following the September 11 attacks, Pakistan willingly provided U.S. forces with access to its air bases and territory to launch military operations in Afghanistan. Yet, he pointed out, the Taliban never questioned why Washington was able to utilize Pakistani soil to target them. These statements come amid escalating tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, exacerbated by a surge in cross-border attacks. Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused militant groups of using Afghanistan territory as a staging ground for attacks inside Pakistan an allegation the Taliban continues to deny.
