Country needs fresh polls with electoral reforms: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq has lamented that the establishment again brought to power the former ruling parties thrown out earlier on corruption charges after facing embarrassment due to the failure of its Imran Khan project.

It has been proved that all three parties nurtured under the umbrella of the establishment and there is no difference among their polices, he said while presiding over a meeting of the JI Central Political Council at Mansoorah on Saturday. The meeting discussed political situation and preparedness for elections. The suggestions of the council will be put before the JI Majlis-e-Shura for final decisions.

The country, Siraj said, needs fresh polls with electoral reforms. He said the JI wants that overseas Pakistanis be given voting rights, but the Election Commission of Pakistan should develop constituencies for them according to their ratio in different areas. The government can also fix special seats for them in national and provincial assemblies. Political parties should join hands for electoral reforms and consider the principle of proportional representation which was successfully adopted by different democracies in the world.

He warned the government against taking anti-poor decisions on the pressure of the IMF, saying that the rulers should review agreements with the international lenders instead of making surrender for dollars.

The government must abolish VIP culture, interest-based economy, non-developmental expenditures and take other measures in light of Islamic teachings to build the economy. He said he saw no differences in the policies of the former and present governments.

There is no check on inflation and the prices of food items are going up with every day passing.