HYDERABAD: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq exhorted on Friday the elements carrying out armed struggles to get power to adopt the democratic path for the purpose.

Talking to reporters here at Markaz Tableegh-i-Islam, he asked the government to come forward to accept the success or shortcomings of the National Action Plan, adding that army was just an state institution, which was not answerable to people.

He said a review of the progress on the 20-point NAP in the Senate revealed that the government’s performance was poor as neither reforms in tribal areas had been introduced nor had reconciliation been achieved in Balochistan.

He claimed that poverty and ignorance had increased and criminal justice system had not been reformed, but police had been massively used to intimidate ulema.

In reply to a question, Senator Haq said, “Islamic movements and ulema are unanimous that armed groups which want power for achievement of their goals should adopt the path of democracy and preaching Islam”.

He said that JI wanted a corruption-free Pakistan and that governments should complete their terms so that they should not claim innocence at the end of the day when their performance were to be assessed by people.

He opposed the bill for curtailment of powers of National Accountability Bureau approved by the Senate’s standing committee on law and justice. NAB and other investigating agencies must have authority to probe corruption cases to recover plundered wealth, he added. Earlier, he addressed lawyers at the High Court Bar Association.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2016