PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-i-Islami on Friday came down heavily on its partner in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, for the ‘political culture it is promoting’ at the Islamabad sit-in against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in the centre.

During an oath-taking ceremony at the party’s provincial headquarters here, JI central general secretary Liaqat Baloch expressed reservations about the mixed gathering at PTI sit-in in Islamabad continuing for the last two months or so.

“Change cannot be brought through music and dance. It is just promoting lewdness among youngsters,” said Baloch.

In a news release issued by JI on Friday, senior leader of the party expressed ‘reservations about the political culture PTI is promoting in the name of change.’

Baloch insists music and dance can’t bring about change, instead it promotes obscenity

It is perhaps for the first time that a senior JI leader, an ally of PTI, has criticised the mixed gathering and music at the PTI sit-in.

Earlier, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and other political parties have condemned mixed gathering and dance at the PTI’s sit-ins.

A staunch believer of the segregation policy, JI chief Sirajul Haq had even proposed on several occasions the establishment of a separate provincial assembly for women.

Partner of the ruling JUI-F under the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in 2002-2007, JI’s youth wing, Shabab-i-Milli, even defaced billboards with pictures of women models.

However, during its current coalition partnership with PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, JI has so far kept a mum on the PTI’s mixed gathering, music and dancing at the Islamabad sit-in.

Liaqat Baloch said JI had also serious reservations about the delay in local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and changes in syllabus.

He said minister for local government Inayatullah Khan, who belonged to JI and that Jamaat’s working group struggled to hold local body polls in the province.

While criticising the PTI policies, the JI leader said despite preparations and homework, local body polls had so far not been held.

He said his party had reservations about changes in textbooks for schools but didn’t part ways with the government.

“JI believes in politics of principles and loyalty and it does not want to stab PTI in the back at this crucial time,” he said, adding that it was not the right time to switch over or abandon the government at the stage.

Baloch said music and dance in sit-ins promoted indecency in society only.

He said JI was going to start the Pakistan Movement from Lahore to complete incomplete agenda of Pakistan.

“We will organise a three-day convention in Lahore on November 23 in which hundreds of thousands people will participate. The movement will set new directions for the country’s politics,” he said.

Without naming names, the JI leader said ‘big powers’ hatched conspiracies to create political instability and anarchy to declare Pakistan a failed state.

He praised JI chief Sirajul Haq and other members of the political jirga for defusing political tensions in the country.

Baloch said his party believed in sustainable change, which could be brought about through a democratic and constitutional struggle.

Without naming Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri, he alleged some people had been brought from abroad to destabilise the country.

“We do not understand this game. On one hand, sit-ins are organised in the country, while on the other, the Indian Army has stated shelling along the Line of Control and Working Boundary,” he said.

During the function, former MNA Sabir Hussain Awan, who was elected the party’s chief for Peshawar district, took oath of the office.

Other leaders of the party also addressed the ceremony.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2014