Once a silent partner of Pakistan The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal chief Maulana Fazl ur Rahman turned a sharp critic of the military establishment in Islamabad over the failed economic policies and the lack of coherence between the military and civic bodies which has led to consistent isolation of Pakistan economically and diplomatically in the region.

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He accused the Pakistani military establishment of alienating the pro-Pakistani establishment at Kabul.

Speaking to a crowd in Islamabad, Fazl ur Rahman called it “a historic missed opportunity” to improve ties with Afghanistan under the Taliban led Islamic Emirate. 

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According to Fazl this would have culminated in a pro-Pakistani regime and would have landed the much needed diplomatic support in the region.

“From Zahir Shah to Ashraf Ghani, there have been pro-Indian governments in Afghanistan. There is an Islamic Emirate government that we could have succeeded in making pro-Pakistani with diplomatic success, but we have also pushed them away.“ said Maulana in a fiery speech.

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Nation stands with you on India but not on Afghanistan

Fazl ur Rahman criticised the ongoing standoff on the Afghanistan border as waste of resources. He specifically mentioned that the long line of freight vehicles stuck at the checkpoint is an utter waste of public money.

While speaking about the ongoing diplomatic and military crisis with India, he pointed out that the whole nation is together in the matter of India and ready to fight to end, but not in the case of Afghanistan.

He scurrilously attacked the Pakistani Military establishment for exclusivity and lack of conformity in engaging with all political stakeholders, economic planners and civil society to address the country's crisis.

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He also raised concerns why Pakistan’s economy is consistently declining while all other regional Muslim majority economies, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Iran, are on an upward trajectory.

What are the implications?

Fazl ul Rahman's speech highlights the growing divide between the extreme right and the military establishment, which had historically served in tandem. His allegations further make the civil and military cooperation fragile and gives strength to the opposing voices. 

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