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Speaking at an All Parties Conference, Fazl warned that the state had “failed to protect its people, their lives and property,” leaving citizens at the mercy of armed groups.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman. (Image: X/naofpakistan)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has made a scathing attack on the federal and provincial governments, alleging that Pakistan is sinking deeper into chaos due to unchecked terror financing, extortion, and militancy. Speaking at an All Parties Conference, Fazl warned that the state had “failed to protect its people, their lives and property,” leaving citizens at the mercy of armed groups.
According to him, militant groups are thriving across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and parts of Sindh, with no real writ of the government visible. “Institutions have completely collapsed. Militants have taken control of tribal areas, stopping people on roads, checking their IDs, kidnapping officials and looting civilians in broad daylight,” Fazl said.
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The JUI-F chief also claimed that nearly 10 per cent of Pakistan’s development funds were being siphoned off to militant groups through systemic corruption. This, he said, had turned terror financing into an institutionalised practice, undermining both governance and security. “Extortion and ransom for kidnappings have become a parallel economy, while ordinary people live in fear,” he remarked.
He further warned that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) routes — projected as Pakistan’s economic lifeline — were no longer safe. Militants, he alleged, were frequently ambushing convoys, disrupting trade, and targeting workers.
Fazl’s remarks come amid growing tensions between the federal and provincial leadership over terror financing. Only days earlier, Pakistan’s Interior Minister and the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accused each other of facilitating extortion networks and militant groups.
By publicly acknowledging the scale of militancy, Fazl has exposed deep fissures within Pakistan’s political establishment. His remarks underline the gravity of the security vacuum, with Pakistan increasingly struggling to maintain control in restive provinces where governance appears to have collapsed.
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Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
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