People not supporting JUI-F protest: Shafqat

• Shafqat Mahmood says peoples are not supporting JUI-F's protest which is against the government.
• Shafqat says Maulana even faced defeat in general election - 2018 in his own constituency.
• The minister says JUI-F is planning to use innocent students of seminaries as shield for political gains.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mahmood Thursday said peoples were not supporting Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman's protest against the government.

Talking to private news channel, he said Maulana even faced defeat in general election - 2018 in his own constituency.

The minister said the JUI-F  was planning to use innocent students of seminaries as shield for political gains.

"As an education minister, it is my view that apolitical students should not be used for political interests," he added.

The Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf (PTI) government would not create hurdles for the protest of JUI-F as a peaceful protest was their political and constitutional right.

He said international community had realized Pakistan's critical role for establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Shafqat said the United States (US) ambassador on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and leadership of Taliban were in Islamabad for dialogues to resolve the issues of Afghanistan.

Peace in Afghanistan was also necessary for development and prosperity of Pakistan and the whole region, he added.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan had good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, leaderships of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan.

The prime minister was playing crucial role for establishing peace in Afghanistan and resolving regional issues.

The US had acknowledged that India could not play any role regarding Afghanistan, he added.

To a question, he said the government had nothing to do with the matters of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He was of the view that accountability process must be continued as national exchequer was looted ruthlessly in the tenures of previous governments.

Discrimination in educational system facilitated only the rich class of the country, he added.

The minister said the government had taken all the stakeholders on board to introduced uniform curriculum in the country.

Seminaries had also extended their helping hand to implement this curriculum, he added.

To a question, he said Sindh government also assured its cooperation in that regard.