PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday warned Afghanistan against trusting India, saying New Delhi has never been a friend to the Afghan people and will never stand by them in times of crisis.
Addressing a large public gathering in Peshawar, Hafiz Naeem said, “I want to tell the Afghan government that India can never be your friend. In your difficult moments, it won’t stand beside you — it will celebrate your pain.”
The remarks came a day after Afghan forces opened fire at multiple locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, and Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), as well as Zhob in Balochistan.
According to security officials, the Pakistan Army responded swiftly and effectively, killing around 200 Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in retaliatory strikes. However, 23 Pakistani soldiers embraced martyrdom during the clashes one of the deadliest in recent months.
The timing of the cross-border attack coincided with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s official visit to India a move that, according to analysts, has raised concerns in Islamabad over Kabul’s growing diplomatic engagement with New Delhi.
Hafiz Naeem called for calm and dialogue, emphasizing the need for both countries to restore mutual trust and prevent further escalation. He appealed to Afghan authorities not to allow their territory to be used for activities hostile to Pakistan, urging joint efforts to combat terrorism and strengthen regional stability.
“The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan share history, faith, and emotions our hearts beat together,” he said. “But repeated strategic mistakes and mistrust have deepened the divide. Both governments must sit together for the sake of peace. We must not turn our guns toward each other.”
Turning his attention to domestic politics, the JI chief lashed out at Pakistan’s ruling elite and institutions, blaming decades of mismanagement for the country’s political and economic instability. He said that for the past 35 years, real power has remained concentrated in the establishment’s hands a system that, in his view, has failed the nation.
“Those who controlled power for decades should admit their failures and return authority to the people,” he said, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami intends to spearhead a political “revolution” to overhaul the system. “We will begin this movement from Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan,” he announced.
Naeem also condemned the bureaucracy as a continuation of the British colonial legacy, accusing it of perpetuating economic inequality and corruption. “The bureaucrats’ wealth, their properties, and their luxury lifestyles all have been built on the backs of the poor,” he remarked.
Criticizing the judiciary, he said that after the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the courts have become “powerless,” losing their ability to deliver justice.
The JI chief further denounced the global silence over Israeli aggression in Gaza, saying that Muslim and Arab nations’ weakness has emboldened Israel to massacre innocent Palestinians. “We are an ideological nation. Pakistan will never recognize Israel,” he declared, urging the people to remain united and firm in their stance.
