Pakistan, Oct. 19 -- Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a formidable and widely respected figure in Pakistani politics. When he expresses his views on a matter of national importance, they cannot simply be brushed aside. Yet respect for a political leader does not mean that his pronouncements must be accepted without scrutiny. Even an opinion expressed by Maulana himself must be tested against reason, argument and the facts at hand.

Maulana's position following the imposition of emergency rule and governor's rule has two distinct dimensions: the political and the strategic. The political dimension is not the subject of this article. Our concern here is the strategic argument he has advanced.

In his remarks on critical minerals, Maulana has, in es...