Govt entrapped in mire of PanamaLeaks: Siraj

Says will not let democracy derail; supports demand for southern Punjab province

LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Senator Sirajul Haq said on Thursday that the government was entrapped in the morass of PanamaLeaks and it would be difficult for it to wade through it. He said that they would not let democracy derail in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Multan on Thursday, he said that the prime minister’s counsel had stated before the Supreme Court that the statement of his client in the National Assembly was a political statement, thereby, implying that the same should not be taken seriously.

This proves that the prime minister is no more Sadiq and Ameen as required under articles 62 and 63. He said that Prime Minister Nawaz was guilty under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution for making a statement regarding his wealth in the National Assembly (NA) which differed from his statement before the Supreme Court.

He said that the leaders of the party raising the slogan of Roti, Kapra and Makan had been named in the PanamaLeaks. These were the people who had got loans of billions written off. He said the ministers were owners of sugar mills and were paying electricity bills of only Rs300 instead of millions of rupees in connivance with the Wapda staff.

He said it was the duty of every patriotic citizen to revolt against injustice and exploitation. 

Siraj reiterated his demand that the NAB chairman should be appointed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan in consultation with the chief justices of the four provincial high courts and the Islamabad High Court and not by the prime minister with the consent of and the leader of the opposition as at present. He said that the PML-N and the PPP were in collusion with each other, protecting each other’s corruption and other interests.

The JI chief supported the demand for a southern Punjab province but added that it should not be on ethnic grounds. He said the PPP had many a time used the southern Punjab card. Similarly, the PML-N had made several promises with the people in the southern Punjab but after gaining power in the Centre it forgot its promises. He said the southern Punjab was badly neglected as the feudal lords and capitalists from the area were loyal to the Takht-e-Punjab.

He said that the resources of the province must be spent judiciously. He added that it was because of economic exploitation that East Pakistan had become Bangladesh. He said that the JI was deadly against the status quo and was striving for a system wherein the rights of every citizen could be protected.