PM responsible for present crisis: JI

LAHORE

Jamaat-i-Islami secretary-general Liaqat Baloch has held Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his team responsible for the present political crisis, saying the key to the solution is also with them. 

“If the prime minister display courage even now and announce a judicial commission to probe Panama Leaks, the whole situation would be on track,” he said while addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club on Monday, along with Dr Farid Paracha, Ameerul Azeem, Ziauddin Ansari advocate, Zikrullah Mujahid, Qaiser Shareef and Farhan Shaukat.  Liaqat Baloch said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his team took reaction over Panama Leaks for granted, but now they were confused and at a loss about how to satisfy the masses. He pointed out that the prime minister had addressed the nation twice on the issue and had also addressed the parliament, but went back on his words of accepting ToRs for the judicial commission which was finalised by the joint parliamentary committee of the government and the opposition. However, he said, the result was zero because the government was not sincere in proceeding with the matter.

Liaqat Baloch said JI would organise a jurists conference on October 26 to discuss Panama Leaks, judicial commission, and related issues, to chalk out a proper stance to adopt at the Supreme Court which was starting the proceedings of JI’s petition on Panama Leaks from November 1. The conference would be chaired by JI ameer Senator Sirajul Haq and participated by eminent jurists, lawyers and retired judges including SM Zafar, Dr Khalid Ranjha, Abid Hasan Manto, Rashid Ahmed Razvi, justice (retd) Hafiz Abdur Rahman Ansari, President Supreme Court Bar Association Ali Zafar, President Lahore High Court Bar Association, and others.

Liaqat Baloch said JI would argue before the Supreme Court bench in the light of the discussion at the jurists conference. He said the oppositionwas agreed to eliminate corruption. He urged the political parties not to adopt such an attitude that would damage the democratic system and the independence of the judiciary. 

Meanwhile, a three-member delegation of JI left for China on a ten-day official visit on the invitation of Chinese government. During its stay there, the delegation will meet high government personalities of the friendly country.

The delegation is headed by JI naib ameer Mian Muhammad Aslam and comprised of deputy secretary general Muhammad Asghar and Director, JI Foreign Affairs, Abdul Ghaffar Aziz.