Govt, not civil judiciary, behind delay in executions: JI

LAHORE
JI Ameer Sirajul Haq Sunday said the government itself has not executed the death sentence announced by civil courts for about 8,000 criminals but an impression is being given to the nation that civil judiciary is responsible for not executing the criminals.
Talking to reporters at Mansoora during the JI Shoora, Siraj said the government had not provided any evidence regarding allegations being leveled against seminaries so far nor had named even a single seminary involved in terrorism.
The JI chief said the basic rights of the citizens were snatched under the so-called Protection of Ordinance but on the other hand, no practical steps were taken to uproot lawlessness and terrorism. The government had not taken any preventive measures to stop terror attacks, and it seemed the rulers were least interested in the security of the life, property and honour of the people.
He said after the Peshawar tragedy, the nation was united stood by the government. A clear cut mandate was given to the Prime Minister for a war against terrorism, but the government had failed to take full advantage of the opportunity.
The government’s non-seriousness against terrorism is clear from the fact that there had not been a single meeting of the NECTA so far, he maintained.
Siraj said the JI had decided to bring all anti status quo forces in the country on one platform and wage a decisive war against the tiny ruling elite that had been controlling the country’s resources for the last 68 years and had been holding the politics, economy and all state institutions as hostages. He said the common man was simply there to pay the utilities bills and scores of taxes while the corrupt rulers were enhancing their bank accounts. He said the Shoora had decided to launch a mass contact campaign during the current year and open JI’s doors to all and sundry.
It was decided to invite the masses to the JI and raise the number of JI members and workers to ten million. Conventions of the youth, farmers and labourers would be held at divisional level and one million youth would be inducted into the party under the drive.
The minorities of the country would also be invited to join the JI and a special wing was being set up for the purpose, he said. Siraj said the Shoora had also decided to observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 as usual.
He said the Kashmir was the issue of life and death for Pakistan and the country remained incomplete without Kashmir. While more than seven lakh Indian troops are carrying out genocide of the Kashmiris for several decades, whereas our rulers were anxious for friendship with India through cricket diplomacy and import of onions and potatoes, he said.
He said the nation could not afford another tragedy like the fall of Dhaka. Therefore, the JI would unite the nation for the solution of the Balochistan issue and a national level delegation would be meeting the estranged Baloch leaders next month and endeavour to bring them back to the national mainstream.
About the situation in Karachi and Sindh, he said the happenings in the port city and Sindh were before everybody. He said the MQM and the PPP had been close allies and whatever their leaders were disclosing about each other was true, and there should not be any doubt about that.
To another question, Siraj expressed the hope that the issues between the government and the PTI would be settled very soon, and added that if the government showed seriousness in this regard, the PTI would not have to stage a sit-in again.
The JI leadership also expressed profound grief over the loss of innocent lives as a result of collision between bus and an oil tanker in Karachi.