ISLAMABAD: Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Siraj-ul-Haq has demanded the constituent parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to sacrifice two months of their five-year term to pave the way for the country-wide general elections on the same day.
In an interview with ‘Wenews’, JI chief said that he was not in favour of any plan to arrest Imran Khan. He said, at present, Jamaat-e-Islami is the only party in the opposition while all other parties are part of the government in one way or the other.
JI chief observed that the PDM government doesn’t want the elections in the two provinces on time and added that JI advocates the formation of caretaker governments in Sindh and the Centre as well.
“There is no real democracy in Pakistan”
Amir Jamaat-e-Islami said there is no real democracy in Pakistan as each and every seat is decided in advance. Here, the voters are not even given an opportunity to cast vote in a free environment.
Siraj-ul-Haq said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan faced an awkward situation after giving decision in case pertaining to the elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as first a nine-member bench was constituted and later it was reduced to five-member bench. He said the decision to hold elections within 90 days came from a weaker supreme court bench, however added, the government has no other option but to implement the court’s decision.
Replying to a question regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, Imran Khan’s possible arrest, Siraj ul Haq said that he would not favour such a move.
Electoral alliance always damaged JI’s ‘revolutionary ideology’
Siraj-ul-Haq said that because of the electoral alliances made in the past, Jamaat-e-Islami got a limited number of seats, but could not follow the ‘revolutionary agenda’ as JI is an ideological party. He said that judges, generals and even the Election Commissioner get their salaries from the tax-payers’ money and lamented that when these people shift their support from one party to the other, they lose their integrity.
He held the three major parties; Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf responsible for the current situation the country is facing with. “Imran Khan used to visit the ISI headquarter every week… it is obvious when you come into power with the support of the establishment, you will have to compulsorily follow their instructions,” he added.
In response to a question regarding the US drone strikes in Pakistan, Sirajul Haq said that they have a clear position from the day first against the drone attacks that the soil of Pakistan and Afghanistan should not be used against each other.
Siraj-ul-Haq on Karachi Mayor
Siraj-ul-Haq, while responding to a question regarding the delay in the appointment of new mayor in Karachi, said that what has been happening in Karachi suggests that the Pakistan People’s Party wants to change the election results. He said that initially, the number of seats JI won in Karachi was 96, which has now reduced to 84 and added if the Election Commission of Pakistan conducted elections for the remaining 11 seats, this number will decrease further.
“Actually, the number of seats won by the PPP should not have been more than 45. However, it acted in connivance with the administration to increase the same, used state resources and then the presiding officers. They [PPP] didn’t start from here… rather they started with gerrymandering.
They notified small union councils in terms of the population where they saw their party was more popular. Actually, the attitude of the PPP was not democratic from day one and it tried to change the election by using any negative means including us of money, rigging, and manipulation. “As far as PTI is concerned, initially, it assured their support, but its leadership, later, changed its stance”, JI chief said adding, “We just want the mandate of the people be respected”.
In response to another question, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami said that if they came into power, they will not resort to fighting with America, rather “We will ask it to review its policies and don’t influence our policies as we don’t have something to fight over with the Americans”.
He further said that the Americans visit Pakistan just to interfere in our political affairs and also decided which one should come into power. He assured that once they form their government, they would demand the US for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s repatriation.
