Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has challenged Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s argument regarding mineral resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, questioning how an emergency would automatically lead to mineral extraction.
“People are saying that minerals should be extracted. But tell me, will imposing an emergency automatically bring those minerals out?” Talal Chaudhry said.
He questioned how businesses could operate in areas where people could not even travel freely, arguing that security concerns needed to be addressed for economic activity to take place.
“If minerals were to be extracted, there was no need to impose an emergency for that purpose,” he said.
Talal Chaudhry also expressed disappointment over Fazlur Rehman’s remarks, saying he had not expected such a position from the JUI-F chief.
It is pertinent to mention here that Fazlur Rehman and his Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) party have long been associated with Pakistan’s religious seminaries, but questions remain about the transparency of donations, student contributions and the financial records of institutions operating under the party’s or its leaders’ supervision.
How much money do these seminaries collect annually through donations, religious offerings, zakat and domestic or overseas contributions? How much is spent on education, accommodation, food and other expenses? And are independently audited financial statements available for public scrutiny?
These questions gained renewed attention following a November 2019 investigative report published by The News under the headline Where Is the Money Coming From? The report examined the financing of JUI-F’s Azadi March and cited party sources discussing the funds collected and the event’s expenditure.
According to the report, a party leader claimed that approximately Rs1.1 billion had been raised for the march, while estimates attributed to organisers put expenditure at around Rs500 million over three weeks. JUI-F finance secretary Shamsur Rehman Shamsi also discussed contributions collected from party workers and local councils.
These figures were attributed to party figures and sources and should not be treated as independently audited financial findings. Nevertheless, they raise legitimate questions about the documentation of political fundraising, expenditure and the availability of financial records.
