JI leader calls for unity to strengthen democracy in country

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) provincial chief Prof Muhammad Ibrahim Khan on Sunday urged the political forces to join hands for strengthening democracy and getting the country rid of the unlimited power of the invisible forces.

“No one else but the politicians were responsible for leading the country to this situation. And no one would be able to snatch their rights if the political parties play their due democratic and constitutional role,” Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan told a function here. The event was organised to commemorate the successful completion of their tenures by Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali as members of the Senate and National Assembly.

The function was also addressed by Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Abdul Akbar Chitral. Senior leaders and members of Jamaat-e-Islami, journalists and others attended the event.Prof Ibrahim said that all the political parties had been given the assurances before the February 8 general elections by the invisible powerful circles that they would form government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “But when they failed to get the desired mandate, they started speaking against the establishment,” he added.

The JI leader said that the political parties had no intra-party democracy due to which they were unable to establish a true democratic culture in the country.Prof Ibrahim expressed grave concern over the Waziristan incident in which several army men, including a lieutenant colonel, were martyred. He spoke about the Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh’s letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wherein the former has sought support against the Israeli atrocities. Prof Ibrahim urged the government to play a leading role in the comity of nations in support of Palestinian Muslims and against the brutalities of Israel.

Speaking on the occasion, former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that the parliament in the country was not free and the public representatives were unable to make independent decisions. “Unless and until the people are given the right of decision making, the problems of the country won’t be resolved,” he said.

He criticized the IMF interference in the country’s affairs. The reduction in the National Finance Commission Award was a direct threat to national sovereignty, he said, adding the country has been virtually enslaved by the IMF.

Mushtaq Ahmad Khan alleged that the Center was not giving its rights to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Article 158 of the Constitution speaks about the ownership of gas. “Even half of the gas produced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not given to the province,” he said.

He said that after the merger of the tribal districts with the province, its share in the NFC could not be given to KP. The Centre owed Rs 1500 billion to KP under hydel net profit, he added