LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami came close to losing its supreme leader on Saturday but its Shura rejected a resignation offered on moral grounds by Syed Munawar Hasan over the party’s crushing defeat in the general elections.

According to sources, the JI chief offered his resignation during a meeting of the party’s consultative body at Mansoora after the participants discussed the reasons behind the defeat.

“Whatever the reasons, I am ready to resign. So accept my resignation as I am morally responsible for the party’s defeat,” the sources quoted Mr Hasan as having said.

According to the sources, the members kept silent for a while and then said: “No. It is not your fault. It is the ‘establishment’ that defeated us. So you continue your job, as we are satisfied with your performance.”

Talking to Dawn, the JI chief said: “Yes, I had decided to quit the post by offering my resignation in the Shura meeting, for being morally responsible for this [defeat].”

Since the voters had witnessed “unprecedented rigging” in various constituencies, particularly in Karachi, the meeting’s participants were sure about the establishment’s involvement in the JI’s defeat in the elections, Mr Hasan said.

“Although it is not our culture to resign like this… I decided to resign for being morally responsible for the defeat.” He said the ‘establishment’ had brought about a surprise by getting some parties to succeed in the elections.

“To some parties, mainly the PML-N, they managed to give a huge mandate, beyond their popularity and capacity. But they got some parties, like the Jamaat, defeated massively, unnecessarily and unlawfully,” he alleged.