Rigging a big scar on ECP’s face: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq alleged that Election Commission of Pakistan had a big scar of rigging on its face, as it completely failed to exercise its autonomy on July 25 and it seemed it had passed on its authority to someone else.

Addressing a press conference at the end of the two-day session of the JI central Shoora at Mansoora on Monday, he said all opposition parties and several international agencies had not accepted the election as fair and transparent. He alleged the state institutions appeared to have fully sided with a particular political party which had damaged their own image. He said that the JI had accepted the election results in the interest of the country’s stability and to safeguard the democratic system. He said the JI would play its role in the National and the provincial assemblies and it would not follow the dictation of the PPP or the PML-N. He said the test of Imran Khan’s government had begun. He reiterated that if Imran Khan did something good, the JI won’t feel shy of appreciating it. He said time had come for Imran Khan to fulfil his programme for first 100 days and the nation was keen to see Imran Khan embark upon his plans to provide jobs to 10 million youths, providing shelter to five million families, abolition of interest and liberate the country from the oppressive hold of the IMF. To a question, he said a ruthless accountability was required to wipe out corruption from the country. As such, it was necessary to bring to accountability 436 other persons named in the Panama Leaks besides those mentioned in the London Leaks and Dubai Leaks.

He said Pakistan at present was under debt of 13 billion dollars while on the other hand, an amount of 375 billion dollars owned by the Pakistanis was lying in banks abroad. He said it was imperative to retrieve this plundered wealth back to the country. He said that after the trial of a single family, there was a suspicious silence over the accountability institutions. The mega scandals were before all but nothing was being done in this regard, he added.

Sirajul Haq said that the JI Shoora had set up a commission to make recommendations for overcoming the weaknesses within the Jamaat and to attract new people in the JI fold. He said the commission would submit its report within two months.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of JI and MMA, Liaqat Baloch announced that entire nation and the component parties of MMA would celebrate the Independence Day with full zeal and fervour.