'JUI-F's stance on establishment no secret'
"We have rejected the establishment's role in manipulating elections. We have always opposed the establishment's interference in politics, and this is our political stance and a political party does not abandon its stance," Fazl said on Sunday while addressing a rally in Hyderabad.
He said the establishment may be a power, but it is a subordinate one.
"If in Pakistan the right to rule belongs to the people, then the decisions of the people cannot be altered. Whoever tries to change the people's decisions is the greatest criminal against Pakistan, and it is this crime that we are fighting against."
He said when India committed aggression against Pakistan last month, it was the JUI-F that urged the nation to stand united against India.
"We suspended our differences because it was a matter of the nation's survival and defence and we fulfilled our duty to defend the homeland.
"We encouraged our army and if our army achieved success in that war, that is exactly what we desirethat you demonstrate excellence in defence, not in politics."
He said if the armed forces play their role in defence then they will honour them like a crown upon our heads. "But if you try to forcibly sit on our heads, we will not tolerate it."
He said God bestowed honour upon Pakistan and upon our defence leadership and that they should be thankful to God for this, and should not turn towards pride or arrogance.
He said today Israel is not only a cancer in the Arab world but also in the entire Islamic world.
"The dagger that British imperialism stabbed into the Arabs' back in the form of Israel still bleeds. But, God willing, Israel will be forced to swallow its own blood and will never gain dominance over the Islamic world," he added.
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The decade of 1988-98 gave to Pakistan a taste of sham democracy. Elections held regularly were engineered and stage managed. For the first time a female in Pakistan and the Islamic countries became the prime minister. Benazir Bhutto was a promise, a hope and an assurance. She fell victim to palace intrigues. During the entire decade Article 58-2B was liberally used by the President to dismiss elected government. The president seemed to be playing Russian roulette. Benazir and Nawaz Sharif alternated as prime minister with as many caretakers. All governments were dismissed on unproven charges of corruption. Pakistan: retrospect and prospect—I In October, 1999, in a suicidal move, the COAS was dismissed, by the Prime minister, while he was airborne on a flight from Colombo. The armed forces on ground in reaction enforced a military takeover, without the declaration of martial law. The Constitution was held in abeyance. The decade until 2008 was largely ruled by the military in accompaniment with a civilian facade. President Musharraf, who started off as Chief Executive, was elected President by the assembly. This period was where our economy grew by almost 7 percent every single year. The tragic event of 9/11 happened and the USA launched a full scale attack on Afghanistan in pursuit of Osama bin Laden. Pakistan again with little choice got embroiled in this war, that was to later become another Vietnam for the US. Just as in the period of Gen Zia, the reaction of the Jihadis targeted civilian areas of Pakistan. Suicide bombings was the order of the decade. Innocent lives were lost. President Musharraf opened up electronic media, more than 50 channels were launched. Freedom of press gained momentum. Privatisation took a spiral. Banks and other key industries were denationalised. After 3-4 years of economic stability, political turmoil set in through the lawyers' movement. President Musharraf was negotiating a political deal with popular Benazir Bhutto. The deal fell through. Elections were announced. In a public meeting at Rawalpindi, where earlier a serving prime minister was gunned down, she too fell victim to an assassin's bullet. A great tragedy had struck. She was a leader who was this time more mature than before to lead effectively. But nature had other designs. Her assassination led to postponement of elections, but once held, expectedly, PPP swept the elections. Pakistan remained on the see-saw of uncertainty but it gained political stability. The government completed its term. A lot of credit must go to President Zardari for his political sagacity and foresight in initiating the revocation and annulment of section 58-2B. The President's office was defanged. A triumph for parliamentary democracy. During 2008-2018, peaceful transitions happened inspite of all elections being declared as controversial by independent analysts. 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