Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the establishment and army were being blackmailed amid their attempts to improve the situation in Pakistan.

“The economic crisis of Pakistan was not accidental. In the last five years, such governments were imposed in Pakistan and Khyber Paktunkhwa in attempt to destroy the culture and economy of Pakistan,” he said while addressing a workers’ convention in Peshawar on Friday.

He criticised the nationalist parties for allegedly calling for an operation in the tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“These nationalist parties are holding rallies saying that injustice was done to the tribal people and that army was responsible for displacing them from their homes. It was you [nationalist parties] who were demanding army operation in tribal areas,” he added.

The JUI-F chief also criticised the decision to merge the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the KP.

“There was no plan and roadmap before taking such huge step and now the people in tribal areas are now living in uncertain times,” he said.

Rehman said that the governments had promised to disburse Rs100 billion to the ex-FATA areas annually.

“It has been eight years since the merger and you could not even release Rs1 billion to the area,” he added.