JI chief says corrupt elite ruling country since inception

TAKHT BHAI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Senator Sirajul Haq on Wednesday said that corrupt elite had been ruling the country since its inception.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating a school here, he said that the rampant corruption by the corrupt and incompetent rulers had weakened the country’s economy and as a result the country could not make any progress.

The JI chief said that the rich were becoming richer while the poor were becoming poorer due to the inappropriate government policies and economic injustices in the country.

Sirajul Haq said there was a discriminatory system in the country and the poor could not get justice from the courts.

“There is a different law for a poor and a rich in the country. The Wapda remove the meter of a poor person for not paying a few hundreds rupees bill in the due time while on the other hand those who embezzled billions of rupees could not be held accountable,” he said.

Sirajul Haq said the ruling elite considered themselves above the law of the land. He said the JI would not rest until the corrupt were taken to task.

About the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the JI chief said that the JI was not satisfied with the province share in the project. He said that Malakand division, tribal areas and Mardan district should be included in the project.

To a question, he said that the JI was in favour of repatriation of Afghan refugees to their country. “But they should be returned with dignity and due respect,” he added.

Regarding the future status of the tribal areas, Sirajul Haq said the JI was in favour of merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but was quick in saying, that the opinion of the tribespeople should not be ignored. “The future of Fata should be decided as per the aspirations of tribespeople,” he added.