Siraj for Pak-Afghan jirga to restore lasting peace

CHARSADDA: Former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq on Saturday said that a lasting peace could only be achieved through dialogue and the traditional jirga system, warning that any war between Pakistan and Afghanistan would bring devastation to both countries.

Speaking at a press conference at the JI central office in Charsadda he said foreign powers were attempting to push the two neighbouring countries toward conflict, and it is the responsibility of all political parties and religious scholars to play an active role in resolving disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan through jirga and dialogue.

Flanked by JI district chief Shah Hussain, general secretary Fawad Ahmad and other party leaders, Siraj welcomed the provincial government’s decision to form a peace jirga and urged all the political parties to participate in the process to ensure long-term peace through local traditions and dialogue mechanisms.

He expressed strong reservations over the 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying there was no national emergency that justified passing it “in the darkness of night.” He claimed that the amendment sought to curtail the powers of elected representatives, strengthen federal authority and weaken provincial rights, which his party had strongly condemned.

The JI leader criticised the prime minister for chairing meetings via video link while abroad, calling it contrary to democratic principles. “Such actions in the name of democracy are an insult to the people’s mandate,” he said, adding that both the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were showing undemocratic behaviour.

He alleged that the 27th Constitutional Amendment had slashed the authority of civilian institutions while empowering a select group, effectively imposing a “civil martial law” under the guise of democracy.

He demanded that the full text of the 27th Constitutional Amendment be made public, just as the 18th Constitutional Amendment was discussed openly for eight months among political parties, lawyers and civil society.

Siraj stressed that the country could only progress when the rule of law prevailed, parliament performed its constitutional role and the people were freed from inflation, unemployment, and lack of basic services.

Commenting on the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said the province had become “like a sandwich”, caught between the negligence of the federal and provincial governments. “The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are paying the price for this indifference,” he added.