Establishment must refrain from meddling in politics: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has stressed that Establishment must refrain from interfering in politics for the sake of its respect.

“The farther the Establishment remained from politics, the greater honour it will earn as a result,” he said while talking to media at Mansoora Thursday after inaugurating the tree-plantation campaign by planting a sapling.

To a question, Siraj said any further invoking of the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ would prove seriously detrimental for the country and its institutions. He hoped that it was time the superior judiciary bury the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ for good, in line with the aspirations of the nation, to put the country back on track of democracy.

“Every institution should work within its limits and Election Commission must be completely independent and powerful,” he said, adding that without achieving those objectives, the dream of enforcing real democracy would never be realised. He lamented that elections in the country had always been hijacked through power and money, depriving the nation of electing its genuine representatives.

Welcoming the remarks of Supreme Court chief justice regarding method of voting for Senate elections, he said the comments of the top judge are the reflection of sentiments of the nation.

Siraj said clean leadership like that of Jamaat-e-Islami would certainly be elected if transparent elections were held and the culture of purchase/influence of votes and hijacking the system was eliminated. He said the past and present rulers badly failed in meeting the expectations of the masses, hence the JI was the only option left with the people. If voted to power, he added, the party would put the country on track. To another query, he said the prime minister’s statement in a foreign country that Indian premier Modi never replied to his repeated contacts tantamount to showing weakness before the stubborn fascist regime of the BJP.