PTI, PDM pushing country towards martial law: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq has warned that with their mindless confrontation, PTI and PDM are pushing the situation towards a Martial law, advising both sides to cease-fire and instead of dragging political issues in courts solve these through dialogue in the parliament with all stakeholders and also reach a consensus on election date.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Saturday, Siraj said the running away of the government and Election Commission to hold elections is a violation of Supreme Court orders and the Constitution of Pakistan. He demanded that Sindh, Balochistan and national assemblies should be dissolved to allow people to elect their representatives in free and transparent manner, and warned that if it was not done then the already weak democratic system could suffer a fatal blow.

He condemned the Punjab caretaker government for creating hurdles in PTI’s constitutional right of public meeting at Minar-e-Pakistan, saying the caretaker set up was virtually posing as part of PDM government and it seems it is there for a longer time than allowed by the constitution.

To a question, he said, Mansoorah is peaceful place and if former Prime Minister Imran Khan or any other political leader were not feeling safe in their homes, they could come to live in Mansoorah. The JI chief said the fight between the PDM and the PTI took the country to the closed alley. He said the PDM government badly failed to deliver any good in 11 months, as the poor were committing suicides due to inflation, unemployment and poverty, reminding that both PDM and PTI had been holding rallies against inflation before coming to power.

He noted with concern that government was making a mockery of the poor people’s plight by making them die in long queues for free Atta, asking the government to bring down the prices of food items at least during the holy month of Ramazan. He said the IMF dictates the government on every matter of national importance and global lender had virtually taken control of the national economy.

He demanded the immediate release of the Gwadar Right Movement leader Maulana Hidayatur Rahman Baloch, asking the government to address the demands of the people of the port city. He asked the ECP to complete the local government polls in Karachi, warning the Sindh government and the PPP against the hurdles in the poll process. He said JI is fully prepared for elections and had started its election campaign from March 23 by presenting manifesto and launching door-to-door contacts.