SWABI/MARDAN: Jamaat-i-Islam chief Sirajul Haq has said that the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan Agency should be returned to their homes immediately because it might be difficult for them to bear the harsh winter weather in tents in days ahead.

Talking to mediapersons at the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar in Swabi on Sunday, he said that both the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments should put their heads together and work for the solution of problems being faced by IDPs.

“With the severity of weather increasing it would be difficult for the displaced persons to stay in tents. The best possible option for the government is to make immediate arrangements for their return,” he said.

Mr Haq said that IDPs of the areas, which had already been cleared during the ongoing operation, should be repatriated.

Answering a question, he said that there was a lack of coordination among the political parties and the leadership had failed to play its due role.

Says still working to bring PTI and PML-N closer

“It is not a good omen for both the political parties and the country,” he said and added in past differences among the political parties had paved the way for the army’s intervention. Mr Haq said that they were still working to resolve differences between the PTI and PML-N.

He said that the three-day congregation of JI in Lahore would be an historic occasion. “We want to play our role in rebuilding Pakistan according to the principles of Islam,” he said.

In Mardan, Sirajul Haq said that there was a dire need for implementation of the rule of law in the country. He said that JI was striving hard to make reconciliation among the government, PTI and PAT so as to save the country from destabilisation.

He was talking to mediapersons on Sunday after a conference arranged at the Jamia Islamia Tafheemul-Quran here to raise funds for the JI congregation scheduled to be held from Nov 21to 23 at Minar-i-Pakistan, Lahore.

Answering a question about issuance of warrants for PTI and PAT chiefs, he said that the government should avoid such a policy as it would widen differences between the government and protesting parties.

He termed this step of the government ‘a non-political decision’.

Earlier, addressing participants of the conference, Mr Haq asked them to not only raise funds for the party congregation, but also try to convince a large number of people to take part in the three-day Ijtema.

“We are calling people towards Allah while other political forces are calling people towards themselves,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2014