By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), has raised serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, warning that residents of Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, and Bannu were being forced to migrate due to insecurity.
Addressing a crowded press conference in Dera Ismail Khan, he said people’s lives were no longer safe and the writ of the government was absent. He added that authorities appeared unable to deal effectively with the prevailing situation.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Pakistan was currently entangled in conflicts on both its eastern and western borders, which had led to growing isolation. He claimed that relations with key regional partners had weakened, noting that China was dissatisfied and that Pakistan had suffered setbacks in Chinese investment. He also said Iran was not in a position to provide significant support or enhance bilateral trade.
Prominent local leaders, including district JUI chief Maulana Lutfur Rehman, former MPA Mahmood Khan Bettani, and Kafeel Ahmed Nizami, attended the event. He emphasized that the crisis was not confined to a single political party but was a national issue. He revealed that his party had proposed an in-camera session of Parliament to brief elected representatives on ground realities and develop a unified national strategy.
“We are heading into highly uncertain times without a clear policy direction,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, adding that secretive decision-making and keeping the public uninformed only fueled distrust.
