NOWSHERA: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for not taking other political parties into confidence before launching the military operation in North Waziristan Agency and said that the PML-N chief would be responsible for its consequences.

Addressing an Eid Milan party organised by JI district chapter at Fazal Qadir Shaheed Park here, he said the prime minister would have to be answerable to nation for launching the operation Zarb-i-Azb on his own.

Sirajul Haq stated that the tribal people had been protecting the territorial boundaries of Pakistan for the last 65 years, but now they were being subjected to injustices. “The tribal people have been forced to leave their houses and live in camps as IDPs,” he lamented.

The JI emir regretted that the proud tribal people were forced to wait in queues just for seeking a tin of ghee. “Respected tribal women, elders and children are compelled to seek ration at food distribution points in Karak, Bannu and other cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

Justifying Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's call for a long march on Islamabad on August 14, Mr Haq said that every party had the constitutional right to protest. However, he said his party would not support any move to dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. “It would be entirely PTI’s own decision to quit government by submitting resignations and the JI would not support any unconstitutional step by any of coalition partners,” he explained.

He appealed to the masses to participate in the JI protest rally on August 10 in Islamabad against Israeli atrocities on innocent Palestinians.

In Upper Dir, provincial Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan said on Sunday that Jamaat-i-Islami would not support Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in its bid to topple the elected government or derail the democratic system in the country.

Inayatullah said his party was firm believer in democracy and would not support any political campaign that could undermine it.

Addressing a press conference here along with JI’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly Sahibzada Tariqullah and district emir Sahibzada Fasihullah, Inayatullah said JI would not support PTI’s attempt to topple a democratic government.

Mr Inayatullah said that his party had been struggling for power within the ambit of the Constitution since 1957. “Since then, we have sought power through vote. We will never support any violent movement for getting the power. We oppose taking power by bullet and support change through vote,” he added.

The minister said JI supported calls for electoral reforms but his party would not tender resignations from provincial assembly.

Sahibzada Tariqullah said his party was not in favour of overthrowing democratic setup and it wanted governments in all the four provinces and in the centre to complete their constitutional tenure of five years. He said the completion of terms by democratic setup would strengthen democracy in the country. “We will not play a role of an agent to undermine political and democratic system,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, JI district emir Sahibzada Fasihullah said that Sirajul Haq would announce a comprehensive party policy on the country’s prevailing politics.

Published in Dawn, Aug 4th, 2014