Govt not sincere in accountability: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq said the government’s failure to initiate accountability of other people named in Panama Leaks besides the Sharif family clearly indicated it is not sincere in continuing the accountability process in the country. 

Addressing the party’s central leadership at Mansoora on Monday, he demanded the NAB chairman to dig out the files of over 150 cases of mega corruption against the big fish dumped at NAB for many years and bring the culprits in the dock without further delay.

The meeting was attended by JI Secretary General Liaqat Baloch, Naib Ameer and deputy secretary generals of the party, and resolved to continue the movement for accountability with a greater vigour till the plunderers of public wealth and those devouring bank loans were hauled up and made to return their ill-gotten wealth to the national exchequer. 

Sirajul Haq demanded the government to take up Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s release with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during his visit to the country and press for her immediate release.

Dr Aafia Siddiqui has been in solitary confinement in the US jail for the last 15 years. He said Pakistan had freed an American couple and three children in a successful operation and only expression of goodwill on that by the US president was not enough.

He said if the US president truly desired good ties with Pakistan, he should stop the ‘Do More’ demands and release Dr Aafia Siddiqui. He, however, said there were reports that the US Secretary of State visit here was mainly for the release of CIA agent Shakil Afridi. He said the US was spending millions to win over the people of Pakistan. He said the hearts of Pakistanis throbbed with Dr Aafia’s heart.

He said the US was wasting a big amount of its budget without knowing the sentiments of the Pakistanis. The US must realise that it could not earn the goodwill of the Pakistanis unless it released Dr Aafia. 

He said on the one hand, the country was burdened by huge foreign debt and the general public was facing price spiral that was crippling them while on the other, the corrupt elements were given free hand to plunder the public money.