Ball now in govt’s court: JI chief

Panamaleaks issue

PESHAWAR: Rejecting the terms of reference proposed by federal government for the judicial commission to probe the Panamaleaks, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Senator Sirajul Haq Thursday said it is up to the government to accept the opposition ToRs or not.

“The ball is in the government’s court. The opposition parties will present own ToRs on the Panamaleaks to the government today. It is up to the government whether it forwards the matter towards destruction or peaceful solution,” the JI chief told a news conference at Al-Markaz-e-Islami here.

He said if the government accepted the opposition ToRs, then the opposition parties would believe that the government was serious about solution to this crisis. The Jamaat-i-Islami  chief, who has also started the drive of “Corruption free Pakistan”, said that the accountability would not be limited to Panamaleaks and would be extended to the previous governments and those rulers who looted the exchequer and transferred the money outside the country.

Flanked by other Jamaat-i-Islami  leaders, including KP chief of the party, Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, and General Secretary Abdul Wasai, the Jamaat-i-Islami  chief said the Panamaleaks had badly damaged the sanctity of the country.

“We are going to table an amendment bill against corruption in the National Assembly.  The Jamaat-i-Islami  will get the opposition parties support for passing the bill from the Parliament,” the JI chief said.

He also presented himself and the Jamaat-i-Islami  leaders, provincial ministers and members of the provincial and National Assembly for accountability. He believed that the prime minister and cabinet members were not in favour of accountability.

He added that if the prime minister backed the accountability, he should start accountability from himself and his cabinet members and then talk about the previous governments. Senator Sirajul Haq said the JI would continue struggle for elimination of financial, moral and election corruption.

He said that reforms in judicial system were also the need of the hour. About the JI drive for “Corruption free Pakistan”, he said, a meeting of the JI central leadership had been convened in Islamabad for May 9 to strengthen the drive against corruption.

“The time has come all political parties should offer themselves for accountability,” he said, adding the parties should expel those leaders, who were found involved in corruption and also ban the party tickets for the members of provincial and national assemblies and Senate.