Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and a senior opposition leader in Pakistan, delivered a sharp and unusually direct criticism of the country’s military leadership on Tuesday, openly questioning its policy toward Afghanistan and drawing comparisons with India’s cross-border actions. Speaking at a gathering of religious scholars in the town of Lyari, Rehman challenged what he described as contradictory positions taken by the Pakistan Army, particularly under the leadership of Army chief General Asim Munir.
Addressing the audience, Rehman condemned Pakistan’s military operations along the western border with Afghanistan, arguing that such actions were unjustified and risked worsening an already volatile situation. He questioned the logic used by the military to defend strikes or operations against militant groups across the Afghan border, warning that these moves were likely to fuel further instability rather than resolve security concerns.
Rehman drew a pointed comparison between Pakistan’s actions in Afghanistan and India’s operations inside Pakistani territory earlier this year under what he referred to as Operation Sindoor. He asked why Pakistan objects so strongly when India claims to target militant groups inside Pakistan, while simultaneously justifying its own actions in Afghanistan on similar grounds. According to Rehman, this inconsistency exposes a fundamental flaw in Pakistan’s security narrative.
“If you justify attacking Afghanistan by saying your enemies are based there, then on what grounds do you object when India claims it is striking its enemies in places like Bahawalpur or Muridke?” Rehman asked, directly challenging the military’s reasoning. He repeated the argument to underline what he sees as a double standard in Islamabad’s approach to cross-border military action.
The JUI-F leader also used the platform to criticise the broader direction of Pakistan’s security policy, suggesting that reliance on force has repeatedly failed to deliver lasting peace. He argued that military escalation against Afghanistan has only deepened mistrust between the two neighbours and increased the risk of prolonged conflict along the border.
Rehman’s remarks come at a time when tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have intensified, with recent cross-border clashes, airstrikes, and mutual accusations of harbouring militant groups. Pakistan has long claimed that fighters from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operate from Afghan soil, while Kabul has consistently denied these allegations and accused Islamabad of violating Afghan sovereignty through military actions.
Warning against the consequences of continued confrontation, Rehman said that rising hostility between Pakistan and Afghanistan serves no one’s interests and threatens to destabilise the entire region. He stressed that dialogue, political engagement, and mutual respect are the only sustainable ways to address long-standing disputes, rather than repeated displays of military force.
He further emphasised that Pakistan needs a consistent and principled foreign policy, one that applies the same standards to itself that it demands of others. According to Rehman, selective justifications for military action undermine Pakistan’s moral and diplomatic standing and complicate its relations not only with neighbours but also with the wider international community.
Political observers say Rehman’s comments have added momentum to an ongoing internal debate in Pakistan, where an increasing number of voices are questioning the effectiveness of hardline security policies. His intervention highlights deep divisions within the country over how best to manage regional relations and whether continued military-centric strategies are exacerbating, rather than resolving, Pakistan’s security challenges in South Asia.
