JI not to support govt for Army Act amendment: Liaqat Baloch

LAHORE : The Jamaat-e-Islami has decided against supporting a government-proposed amendment to the Army Act to extend the tenure of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, for the sake of keeping intact the uncontroversial status of the armed forces.

JI naib ameer Liaqat Baloch in a statement on Saturday said the legislation made for the sake of an individual had become controversial and weak. Baloch said the government amendments to the Army Act would create ambiguity. He questioned the haste displayed by the ruling party in introducing changes in the Act in a situation when it had already filed a review petition in the apex court on the verdict in the COAS extension case. He claimed the government’s inability had already landed the national institution into an embarrassing situation and now the prime minister did not bother to consult the opposition parties on the amendment.

Meanwhile, JI ameer Senator Sirajul Haq in a statement urged upon Muslim countries to demonstrate unity to counter US designs to impose a new war on them. He said American President Donald Trump was bent upon imposing a fresh war on the Muslim world to divert world attention from his impeachment, without realising the dangers it would create for the whole world. Siraj warned that another US war against a Muslim state would not remain confined to a specific country or region but it would engulf the entire world, resulting in the death of millions of people, starvation, destruction and catastrophe.

He said status quo parties had joined hands when it came to matter of their self-interest. “It has been proved now that their sole agenda is not to serve the masses but to protect their own interests,” he added. The JI, he said, was striving hard for the supremacy of the constitution and believed that law should be equal for all.

He appreciated the role of the media in exposing the duality of some political parties, saying the national press was playing a vital role in creating awareness among the people despite government curbs and restrictions.

Siraj condemned the recent hike in petroleum prices, expressing concern that prices of daily-use items had gone beyond the public reach. The people, he said, were desperate and unable to make their both ends meet in the prevailing situation.

He said the IMF had virtually taken control of the state affairs and all policies were being made on the direction of the international lending agency. He warned the rulers against rising public anger, saying the masses could anytime take to the streets to oust the “incapable” regime if the issues of inflation and unemployment were not addressed immediately.