Fazl admits recommendation of land allocation, denies personal gain

[Naveed Yaseen]

TANK: The chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Saturday said being a coalition partner in the federal government, he reserved the right to raise objections to distribution of portfolios among the parties in the ruling alliance.

Addressing the JUI-F general body meeting, he disclosed that he had conveyed his reservations about the distribution of ministries to the concerned quarters of the government.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, the JUI-F chief alleged that some television channels were carrying out media trial of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leaders.

“I was accused of getting land allotted in Dera Ismail Khan in the names of my friends and colleagues. It was unjust. I may have recommended some people for allotment of land but they weren’t my friends or relatives,” he insisted.

The Maulana stressed that the foreign policy of the country must be reviewed as even the new coalition government had objected to the policy framed by the previous government.

About the war on terror, he said he had already demanded the withdrawal of troops from Fata during the in-camera session of parliament as, according to him, dialogue was the only solution to the issue.

Fazl said he also took up the issue of civilians who were in “unlawful detention” of intelligence agencies and urged the human rights activists to take note of the matter.

When asked about the victory of US President-elect Barack Obama, he said it was premature to say anything as he had not yet announced his policy.

To a query, the JUI-F chief asked: “What kind of patriotism it is when the ANP-led government in the NWFP was fixing signboards of Greater Pakhtunistan in every nook and corner of the province?”

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