JI wants govt’s clarification on US claim

LAHORE: Jamaat Islami ameer Sirajul Haq has warned the government against allowing US army to use military bases in Pakistan, asking Prime Minister Imran Khan to clarify the statement of US administration claiming that Islamabad has again allowed Washington to use its military bases and air space.

Addressing a meeting of JI Punjab office-bearers at Mansoora on Monday, Sirajul Haq expressed concern that if the PTI government repeated the blunder committed by Gen Pervez Musharraf, it would invite more serious dangers and catastrophes. He warned that Pakistanis had already paid a heavy price of others’ war in shape of over 80,000 innocent lives and infrastructure damage of over $100 billion. Hr cautioned the government against repeating that grave blunder, especially under the prevailing precarious security situation in the region, saying Pakistanis would never allow Washington any more access to use military bases and air space at any cost.

He lamented that the PTI government had always claimed to reverse the policies of Gen Musharraf but conveniently taken U-turns on that, saying that the mess PTI had created of Pakistan during the nearly three years of its rule was so bad that the poor nation would have to work hard to recover its damages for many generations. He said the need of the hour was that Pakistan must not involve into any foreign war and military campaign which would endanger its internal security.

The JI ameer criticized the government for the recent report of State Bank of Pakistan, saying it had exposed the blatant lies propagated by PTI economic managers regarding false claims of improving economy, pushing up the growth rate and recovering the current account deficit. He urged the government to make public the conditions for taking huge loans from IMF. He paid tribute to the Karachiites for joining the Palestine solidarity rally in large numbers, saying that Pakistanis had proved beyond doubt that their hearts beat with the Muslim brethren in Palestine, Kashmir and other parts of the world. He said a million march for Palestine would be held on 30th in Peshawar.