JI chief proposes cut in govt term to four years

Asks rulers to face accountability; says Islamic rule is only way to resolve Pakistan’s problems

NOWSHERA: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday suggested cutting the tenure of the government to four years as it would help end corruption in the country.

Speaking on the last day of the two-day JI congregation in Azakhel in Nowshera district, he said the rulers should have bowed their heads in shame after the Panama Papers scandal.

“The rulers should present themselves for accountability as they cannot defend the indefensible,” Sirajul Haq stressed.

He criticised federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar for borrowing a huge amount from the lenders, saying the minister had won the title of best finance minister for himself but burdened the nation with an unprecedented amount of loans.

“Repaying the debt would be very difficult and the ultimate victim would be the common man,” he maintained.

Senator Sirajul Haq said Pakistan was blessed with adequate water resources but even then the country could not produce enough electricity to meet the needs of consumers.He said the number of people living below the poverty line was increasing day by day despite the fact that the country had abundance of natural resources.

“The exploitation by a few rich and the misuse of the country’s resources had caused an increase in poverty in Pakistan. The rulers are spending billions on their luxuries but allocates merely Rs111 billion for the health of the entire nation,” he regretted.

The JI chief said Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had stated 114 times that Pakistan’s future would be decided in accordance with the injunctions of Quran and Hadith.

“Millions of people sacrificed their lives for the country envisioned by its founder. After independence a specific section of the society hijacked the country,” he alleged.

Sirajul Haq claimed that these people also hijacked democracy in Pakistan and introduced their own version of democratic system.

The JI leader criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his statement that no real development had taken place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “This province is a federating unit of Pakistan so who is responsible for its development,” he asked.

“A truly independent Election Commission could guarantee strong democracy in Pakistan for which the prerequisites are financial independence of the commission and electoral reforms,” he argued.  

He said the parties that failed to democratise their own affairs could not introduce democracy in the country.” Poverty, lawlessness and joblessness are the gifts of these undemocratic parties,” he stressed.

Sirajul Haq said the enforcement of Islamic rule was the only solution for resolving the existing problems in the country. However, he stressed that Islamic system could not be implemented through the use of force.

“Islamic system should be introduced through votes,” he opined. He warned of quitting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government if the posts of Islamiyat teachers in government schools were not restored and Urdu was not declared the official language.

Coming down hard on the federal government stance on Kashmir issue, he said that the weak leaders were damaging the image of a brave nation at the international level.He said government’s handling of the issue was injustice with Kashmiris. “My party has been raising the Kashmir issue at every platform,” he pointed out.

Thousands of people from across the province and Fata attended the two-day event held in a spacious place in Azakhel. The participants left for their homes after special prayers were offered for the solidarity and integrity of the country.