Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said on Monday that his party would welcome foreign investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but would not allow the sale or depletion of the province's minerals and natural resources in the name of investment. "If agreements are to be made with major powers about foreign investment, they should be made public.
No agreement reached behind closed doors will be acceptable to us," he said while addressing a social media convention organised by party workers. The JUI-F chief said he was expressing genuine concerns about the policies of the federal government and certain influential quarters, adding that it was the responsibility of the state to address those concerns rather than launch smear campaigns against him.
"Instead of addressing our concerns, they launch propaganda and level false allegations against me. Let me make it clear that such negative campaigns, propaganda and character assassination will never deter me from my position," he said.
Maulana Fazlur Rahman said the country and its land were a blessing from Allah and a trust in the hands of the nation, which required honesty and sincerity to protect. He alleged that the former tribal areas had long been treated as a laboratory for experiments, adding that his party's political position should be understood in its proper context.
"We raise questions on the basis of evidence. We are the sons of this soil, and when we have doubts and concerns, it is the duty of the state to answer them and address our reservations," he said.
Referring to discussions about reversing the merger of the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said certain senior officials had directly told him that the merger was a wrong decision and should be reversed to restore the previous status.
He alleged that the merger had originally been carried out at the behest of a major power and that attempts were now being made to reverse it in the interests of another major power. However, he said circumstances had changed considerably since the merger, adding that the issues confronting the tribal districts now primarily concerned their resources and economy.
The JUI-F chief said that even after nearly a decade, the settlement process had not been completed, the distribution of community-owned land remained unresolved and an organised police system had yet to be established in the tribal districts. "The deputy commissioners are also worried about what to do in these circumstances," he said.
Maulana Fazlur Rahman said his party was not opposed to international investment in the province and that countries such as the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France could invest in the region. However, he expressed concern over the growing interest in the province's mineral resources, referring to China's investment under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the growing US role and recent statements by the US ambassador about the province's mineral resources.
He concluded by reiterating that the party would continue to advocate for the rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He emphasized that the natural wealth of the province belongs to its residents and any exploitation by external forces would be met with strong political resistance from his party.
The convention served as a platform for the JUI-F to mobilize its digital wing, with the leadership stressing the importance of social media in countering what they termed as state-sponsored propaganda. The party remains firm on its stance regarding the sovereignty of the province's resources.