PTI govt has failed to deliver on pledges, says JI chief

PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) head Senator Sirajul Haq on Saturday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had failed to honour its commitment with the people.

Speaking at “Meet-the-Press” programme of the Peshawar Press Club, he said his party was striving for the establishment of the Islamic system.

“The enforcement of Sharia law is the only solution to the problems being faced by the people,” he added.

JI leaders, including former provincial minister Hafiz Hashmat, Javed Mohmand, Mohammad Asghar, Amir Attiqur Rahman and others were also present on the occasion.

Sirajul Haq said the JI would establish an Islamic welfare state if it was given the chance to form government. “The ones who were raising slogans to establish the Madina state model have created problems for those visiting Makka and Madina,” he sneered.

He added said the government had handed over the economy to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by appointing its economist as the governor State Bank of Pakistan. The JI head said the IMF never supported any country rather it damaged the economies of the poor countries.

He said the IMF and the World Bank always enhanced poverty and added to the problems of the poor in the countries where they stepped in. The JI head said the government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan had failed to solve problems of the people and made life difficult for the common people by increasing prices of daily commodities.

Instead of honouring its commitment with the people, the PTI government, he said had snatched jobs from the people and rendered them homeless.

Responding to a question, Senator Sirajul Haq suggested to the Pakistan Army to remain neutral.

“We want a strong army because our competition is with India,” he said, adding that the government was following US policy on Kashmir.

He said the poor find it difficult to provide two-time meal and educate their children. Sirajul Haq said that tall claims were made to eliminate corruption, but now the people were forced to indulge in corruption even for doing their legal work.

“This is the failure of the government,” he remarked saying the political parties could play their role if the establishment remained neutral.

He said the PTI people were giving an impression that they had been selected, but the action of Federal Minister Faisal Vawda on a private TV channel had explained the issue.

This action, he said, had damaged integrity of the national institutions.

Sirajul Haq said that the JI was mobilizing people from Karachi to Chitral as it did not believe in the politics of drawing rooms. He said the change of faces would never solve the problems. Instead of changing faces, he said they would have to get rid of the existing system.

He said only the JI could do this because the outdated system has multiplied miseries of the people. He said his party would never allow anyone to follow US policy on Kashmir as it was a matter of life and death for Pakistan.

He said that India was not even accepting the geographical boundaries of Pakistan. He said it was difficult for the government and rulers to unite the people under the prevailing circumstances.