Siraj demands tough punishment to Barkhan tragedy culprits

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq has demanded tough punishment to the culprits of Barkhan tragedy, lamenting that the nation is governed under the rule of jungle where only the powerful are protected.

Demanding immediate resignation of Balochistan Chief Minister whose cabinet minister committed the heinous bestiality and ran private jails, private gallows and private courts, Siraj asked if there was any government or law in Balochistan.

He was addressing the participants of JI central training workshop for leaders and members at Mansoorah here on Thursday. Siraj said if the oppressors in Barkhan tragedy are served exemplary punishments, nobody would dare commit atrocities against the innocent people in future. He also demanded the chief justice of Supreme Court to form a larger bench on the incident.

Siraj-ul-Haq said country’s justice system has been badly exposed as serving only the ruling elite whom judges made frequent requests to appear before the courts, while the poor people are baton charged and sentenced for crimes they had not committed.

He said no tax is charged from 18 powerful individuals who own assets worth 4 thousand billion rupees, while poor masses are slapped with another 170 billion rupees taxes. Ironically, he said, both rich and poor individuals pay same tax under indirect taxation regime which makes rich richer and poor poorer, consequently increasing poverty and ruining the economy.

We consider the pain and sufferings of the Ummah as our own, and it was time the nation

decide if it continued to give its destiny in the hands of the tried, tested corrupt elite or the clean and honest JI leadership, he said.

Siraj-ul-Haq said JI wants Pakistan to have equal facilities of justice, education, health and employment for all, without discrimination of social status, and enforcement of Islamic system with interest-free economy. JI women hold protests against Barkhan tragedy today: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) women wing is organising countrywide protests against the Barkhan tragedy on Friday (today).

JI Secretary General Amir-ul-Azeem announced the decision in a statement, saying a large number of women and children would take to the streets to demand severe punishment for the perpetrators of brutal killings.

He said the protesters would also demand comprehensive reports about feudal lords running private jails, torture cells, and gallows across the country where innocent people are being detained for years and executed. He demanded immediate police action against operators of illegal jails and torture cells.