Some people ganging up to abolish articles 62, 63: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq has said some people from the ruling party and the opposition are ganging up to abolish articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, but masses would never allow it.

Addressing a rally taken out by the JI in the provincial capital on Sunday, he said if articles 62 and 63 were dropped, the next demand of these elements would be abolition of the article that provided that only a Muslim could be the president and prime minister of Pakistan.

“Today, they say coming up to the requirements of articles 62, 63 is difficult, and tomorrow they will say fulfilling requirements of being a Muslim is difficult,” added the JI chief.

He said even in non-Islamic countries, nobody was ready to give any public office to someone who was known to be dishonest or a liar. How can such people be accepted as leaders in this country, which has been established in the name of Islam, he asked.

The JI Ameer said the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif was the first attack of his party on the ‘Somnath of corruption’.He said the nation wanted across-the-board accountability of plunderers, and it also knew those trying to hide themselves by changing their parties.

He said if there was the name of any general or judge in the Panama Leaks, they should also be brought to book.He said all other crimes of Nawaz Sharif could be pardoned but the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, handing over of Dr Aafia Siddiqui to the USA and allowing safe exit to CIA agent Raymond Davis could never be forgiven.

The JI chief said some people might have the agenda of removing Nawaz Sharif alone “but my agenda is to wipe out corruption from the country.”Siraj said the nation would remain grateful to the Supreme Court judges and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) members for centuries because of their courageous role in the Panama Leaks case.

He said none of the world rulers, hit by the Panama Leaks, tried to bulldoze the courts’ decision by raising objections. However, he added, the Pakistani rulers, who had been taken to task under the law for the first time in the 70 years history of Pakistan, were making hue and cry and questioning the judgement.