“If the bill banning child marriage is not withdrawn, we will take to the streets: Fazlur Rehman”
Speaker should give a ruling on the bill and refer it to the Islamic Ideology Council; if they raise no objection, I won’t have any either, says Fazlur Rehman.
ISLAMABAD ( WEB NEWS )
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has strongly condemned the bill prohibiting child marriage and hinted at taking to the streets if the bill is not withdrawn. Speaking in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that this is a time to establish national unity and cohesion, yet the government is pushing a controversial bill.
He said that a bill has been introduced banning marriage of children under 18 years of age—was this the right time to bring such a bill? “Now if I oppose this bill, people will ask, ‘What is Maulana doing?'” He said national unity demands that such actions not be taken.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded the Speaker to give a ruling against the bill and said that the government should not force them to come out on the streets by passing such legislation. He suggested that it would be better to halt the legislation and send it to the Islamic Ideology Council. “If they don’t object, then I won’t object either,” he added.
He also stated that the entire country and parliament are united in the belief that India has committed aggression. Using the Pulwama incident as a pretext, India blamed Pakistan without investigation and tried to shift the blame of its security failure onto Pakistan.
He said missiles were fired on our civilians and religious centers, and that mosques and nearby families were targeted under the claim of attacking terrorist centers.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said our establishment and military acknowledge that a war cannot be fought without the support of the nation. India leveled allegations and was the first to attack, but the way Pakistan’s armed forces defended and responded will be remembered in history.
The JUI chief praised the Pakistan Armed Forces, noting that although a ceasefire has taken place, the situation remains tense, and maintaining national unity is essential.
He further added that members of the Indian parliament are mocking their own government, Modi stands isolated, and is not receiving public support. He warned that Modi may take similar actions again as a face-saving tactic. “China’s economic partnership has now extended into the defense sector as well, and we should trust our friend China.”
The JUI head stated that European and Israeli technology failed, while Chinese and Asian technology succeeded. “The world saw how our pilots utilized technology effectively.”
Maulana Fazlur Rehman emphasized the need to keep the Afghan border peaceful at such a time. He noted that a drone attack in Waziristan was discussed in the house today, and that JUI organized million marches in Peshawar and Quetta. “We held rallies to break fear and promote national unity, showing the world that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are alive and active.”