Senior Pakistani leader and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman launched a scathing attack on Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir during a convention in Peshawar, directly invoking the humiliating surrender of 1971 to mock the military establishment.

He warned that the continuation of oppression and bloodshed could lead to fresh geographical changes in the region, drawing parallels between past failures and present conduct.

Rehman reminded the audience of the 1971 war, where Pakistan suffered a decisive defeat against India. The 13-day conflict ended with the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops in Dhaka on December 16, leading to the fall of Pakistan’s eastern wing and the liberation of Bangladesh.

He recalled how, just a day before surrendering, General Yahya Khan had declared that the army would fight in the streets, deserts, fields, factories, and mountains, but those grand words collapsed into submission. “We heard these big words then,” Rehman said, underscoring the hollowness of military bravado.

He questioned why the public continues to suffer under immense hardship while the establishment remains indifferent. “We are the protectors of this country. No one’s father can harm this country. I agree, you are very powerful,” he remarked, targeting the military leadership’s chest-thumping rhetoric. 

He accused the establishment of putting the nation to the test while enjoying privileges as ordinary citizens endure misery.

Rehman contextualised the current situation by referring to decades of conflict in the region. He pointed out that since the Afghan revolution in 1989, blood has flowed continuously for nearly half a century. 

He warned that such prolonged violence is a sign of impending geographical changes, suggesting that Pakistan’s territorial integrity could be at risk if the cycle of conflict and oppression persists.

He described the ongoing crisis as a legacy of oppression, stating that the people are forced to breathe under its shadow. “It will continue. A few more days, my dear, just a few more days. We are forced to take a breath in the shade of oppression.

If we endure the oppression for a little longer, if we suffer, if we cry, it is the legacy of our ancestors. We are helpless,” he said, portraying a grim picture of the nation’s plight.

The remarks represent one of the sharpest rebukes of Pakistan’s military leadership by a mainstream political figure in recent times.

By invoking the 1971 surrender, Rehman sought to remind the establishment of its historical failures and warn that repeating the same mistakes could lead to disastrous consequences for Pakistan’s future.

ANI