Elections, accountability should go side by side: Siraj

MANCHESTER: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Senator Sirajul Haq, who is visiting UK and Europe on a weeklong trip, Friday said elections should be held on time and accountability should also be held side by side.

Addressing a gathering in Oldham, he said all 436 people named in Panama Papers should be held accountable. “We all want accountability and it should carry on,” he said. He said the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has been fully activated and it will combine its efforts to defeat other parties in the next general elections. He said all religious parties will discuss further political adjustments in a meeting sometime in February.

Commenting on the all parties conference and Model Town report, he said it was sad indeed that 14 people were killed in broad day light and they are still awaiting justice. “We support this cause and whoever is responsible should be punished. A delegation from the JI will take part in the APC,” he said. To a question, he said it is very disappointing that an ex-PM has announced a campaign against judiciary. He said the current system has failed to provide jobs to our youths. “Change won’t come overnight, it will come when we will vote for ideology and vision and the JI stands tall among parties to have the best vision and ideology and that is Islamic system in Pakistan,” he said, adding: “We have always supported right of vote for overseas Pakistanis as you are the backbone of our economy and I am very pleased to see the interest of overseas Pakistanis in current situation in Pakistan.”

Sirajul Haq said there is no room for another NRO as providing safe passage to the criminals and returning them to the corridors of power again would be the worst form of enmity towards the country and the nation. The JI chief urged the Election Commission to hold elections of the political parties under its supervision to strengthen democracy in the country. He said the worst form of dictatorship prevailed in the country under the cover of democracy and the constitution and the law seemed to be totally helpless before the ruling elite. Siraj said dynastic politics was the common norm in the political parties and the political workers are losing interest in politics while the political system was a plaything in the hands of the oppressive feudal lords, capitalists and vaderas. He regretted that the Election Commission had failed to enforce its code of conduct due to which the corrupt elite managed to reach the assemblies. The JI chief said the nation would not allow another NRO. On the other hand, he demanded that all those benefiting from the NRO of Pervez Musharraf be also brought to accountability. He further demanded that all those whose names had appeared in PanamaLeaks and those who had plundered public money and transferred to foreign banks should be debarred from contesting elections till their accounts were audited. Siraj said the JI was fighting against corruption as the problems of the country could not be solved without making the country free from corruption. The JI chief told the Pakistanis living in European countries that they were the unofficial ambassadors of the country abroad and they should work for the supremacy of Islam and as model citizens and best Pakistanis. Siraj said the government was the biggest hurdle in the solution of Kashmir issue.