JI congregation launches preparations for next elections

AZAKHEL, Nowshehra: The two-day congregation arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) that concluded here on Sunday is being seen as the launch of its preparations for the next general election.

So huge was the number of the participants - both men and women - that it gave confidence to the JI leadership to announce roadmap for the forming the next government in the province.

The JI leaders claimed they would emerge victorious in the 2018 general election.The congregation was huge and everyone had his own account of the number of the participants. The JI members claimed that over a million people attended the moot as the 1000,000 attendance badges they had prepared fell short.

The police special branch officials said that at least 200,000 people, including 25,000 women, attended the gathering.Independent survey showed that more than 200,000 people attended the two-day moot and women participation was incredibly large.

Impressive arrangements had been made for the event. It took two long months to make the arrangements possible. So good were the arrangements that no one was heard complaining.Spacious tent-halls had been set up all around the main venue of gathering for the stay of the participants. Each district had its separate camp and each one was full to capacity.

The number of participants from several districts like Dir, Buner and Swat exceeded the space allocated to them and they were then accommodated in the extra camps that were set up.The makeshift halls for women were separate from those arranged for men. A walled ‘Ijtima Gah’ (congregation place) venue had been arranged for women. Separate routes had been fixed for the well-equipped venue of the women. A large screen had been arranged there so that the female participants could see the activities on the stage.

The huge stage was worth seeing. Coloured as JI’s flag, this was the first 3-D stage in the country’s history of political gatherings. So wide was the capacity on the stage that it could accommodate an exceptionally large number of the JI leaders, guests from other political parties, camera people and security men.

Also, the stage was arranged in such a manner that it was visible from the locations that were far away. The sound system was perfect and one could clearly listen to
the speeches and announcements from the stage even if a person was away in the camps, stalls or in the parking lot.

This was perhaps the first time in a JI congregation that special arrangements had been for guests from other parties and important people. Right on the back of the stage a sprawling canopy had been installed where important guests were accorded a warm welcome and served with food and fresh and dry fruit.

Special camp had also been organised for the handicapped participants. There were separate washrooms and food stalls for these special people.

Uninterrupted flow of electricity to every corner of the congregation was ensured throughout the two days. Together with Nowshera Police, the JI workers had made excellent arrangement for parking of the vehicles to ensure unhindered flow of traffic both on the GT Road and in the venue of congregation.

The security was satisfactory. The JI had deployed 1,000 volunteers for the security. A special contingent of Nowshera Police had also been deployed to ensure security.

Due to strict discipline and organization, no untoward situation was witnessed. The JI leaders and workers were successful in showing what they are famous for - their organisation.The smooth arrangement of the moot and the massive attendence were not the only reasons to bring smile on the faces of JI leaders.

They were happy because they knew that they had achieved their real targets that were to infuse new spirit among their workers and to bring the party to the equal ground for talks and forming alliances for next general elections.

The JI leaders were seen greeting each other for the successful show. There was broad smile on every face after the conclusion of the moot.The JI had estimated the cost of the arrangements for the gathering at Rs120 million.

JI chief Sirajul Haq in his final speech made a mention of the money spent on holding the event. He said: “The people ask me from where the money for holding such a big programme would come. My answer to them was that party activists would provide it.”

Then he asked the participants to donate whatever they had in their pockets for the expenses for holding the congregation and the people generously responded.The crux of the speeches delivered on the stage was to make massive preparation for the next general election.

All the speakers were of the opinion that introduction of Islamic system of government in the country was the panacea for all the problems and for the purpose the JI should reach the corridors of power.

For the spiritual guidance of the participants, several Quran and Hadith lectures were delivered by prominent religious scholars and JI senior fellows.The most important among them was the one delivered by chief of Jamaat Ishaat-wa-Tauheed Maulana Tayyab Tahiree.