'China No Longer Trusts Us': Maulana Fazlur Rehman Slams Pakistan’s Foreign Policy

Last Updated:February 09, 2026, 10:02 IST

Fazlur Rehman also questioned Pakistan’s strategic thinking over the past 78 years, particularly its handling of Afghanistan.

Pakistan has “lost every friend it once had," including Afghanistan and China, due to decades of flawed foreign policy and internal contradictions, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said, launching a scathing attack on the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and the country’s security establishment.

Speaking at an event, Fazlur Rehman questioned Pakistan’s strategic thinking over the past 78 years, particularly its handling of Afghanistan. “In all these decades, we never paused to ask why our Afghan policy failed so miserably," he said, pointing to a paradoxical situation where trade from Afghanistan is virtually frozen while militant infiltration continues unchecked. “Not a single pomegranate or melon can enter Pakistan, yet terrorists keep crossing the border," he remarked.

The JUI-F chief accused Pakistan’s military leadership of indecision, saying conflicting approaches within the army have crippled foreign policy. “One general talks about negotiations and peace, while another insists on war. With such confusion, how can a country run a coherent foreign policy," he asked.

Fazlur Rehman also delivered a sharp critique of the government’s handling of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), once touted as a game-changer for Pakistan’s economy. He said the Shehbaz Sharif government has failed to revive Chinese confidence or secure fresh investments. “CPEC has seen no real progress during this tenure because China no longer trusts us," he said.

Recalling earlier phases of the project, Fazlur Rehman noted that both Islamabad and Beijing had complaints when CPEC slowed during the Imran Khan government. However, he questioned whether the current administration had done any better. “Today I ask — has even a single brick moved forward under this government," he said.

According to Fazlur Rehman, China had hoped the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government would stabilise relations and improve project execution. “Instead, today China is displeased with Pakistan," he claimed, warning that diplomatic goodwill is rapidly eroding.

The JUI-F leader said the country’s foreign policy has reached a point of failure where “India is our enemy, Afghanistan is our enemy, and even Iran and China are upset with us." “The people of Pakistan deserve answers," Fazlur Rehman said, “because a nation cannot survive when its policies produce only isolation, mistrust and insecurity."

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