Siraj demands early polls

LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Sirajul Haq has reiterated his demand for early elections, asking the prime minister to ensure general elections as soon as possible instead of focusing on execution of projects.

It was responsibility of the new government to introduce electoral reforms with the consensus of all political parties before the general elections; he said this while addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Friday.

He demanded the government review agreements with the IMF, bring down prices of food items and petrol and decrease the electricity and gas tariff. The old status of the State Bank of Pakistan must be restored, he stressed.

To a question, Sirajul Haq said now that the DG ISPR clarified that the NSC meeting had not discussed the US conspiracy against PTI government, it is important that Supreme Court should form a judicial commission to probe into the letter-gate.

JI believed that the US interference into Pakistan’s internal affairs was an open secret yet it did not see any reason that Washington wanted to end the PTI regime since it had been carrying out the western agenda, he said.

The US establishment, he said, was rather comfortable with Imran Khan Government, which implemented all the demands of the international lending agencies working with the backing of America, facilitated Nato forces and did not recognise the Afghanistan government on US pressure. Siraj welcomed the DG ISPR statement about the impossibility of martial law, saying it ended many doubts and confusions.

The institutions including judiciary, military and election commission must keep their neutrality intact in the benefit of the country. If establishment interfered into politics, it must expect criticism from political workers, he said.

He said the JI believed the three ruling parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf could never stand up against US dictations. The people, he said, had tested the three parties for years. The nation, he added, received back no benefit from the waderas, feudal and imperialists after bringing them into power repeatedly.

He called for implementation of the JI-PPP agreement on Karachi reforms and Sindh local government. He said the new government should address the concerns of the people of Gwadar and other areas of Balochistan. The government, he said, should recognise Afghan government and take a bold stance on Kashmir issue. To a question, Siraj said JI was not in favour of political alliance with the tested parties. “We will go into elections under our own flag, manifesto and elections symbol.”