PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Friday criticised the Pakistan People’s Party for making Muttahida Qaumi Movement part of the ruling coalition in Sindh yet again.

Talking to reporters after submitting his nomination papers for Senate elections at the provincial office of Election Commission of Pakistan here, the JI chief said PPP had struck a deal with MQM for winning few seats in the Senate.

Also read: MQM, PPP reach accord on Senate polls, coalition govt in Sindh

He said instead of taking serious action on the Joint Investigation Team report about Baldia Town Karachi factory deaths, PPP had made MQM part of the Sindh government again.

Siraj said the Sindh government should support families of the 259 workers, who were burnt alive in the garment factory instead of making MQM its coalition partner again.

He said MQM was named for Balda Town deaths in the JIT report, which was submitted to the court by the ‘responsible institutions.’

Says PPP struck deal with Muttahida to win few Senate seats

The JI chief said the spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations had specifically mentioned that MQM had demanded Rs150 million extortion money from the owner of the Baldia Town factory, which was later torched.

“MQM has been held responsible for the tragedy,” he said, adding that it was the responsibility of the government and judiciary to bring culprits to justice.

Siraj said PPP should not invite MQM to join the Sindh government in light of the JIT report.

The JI chief will be the main candidate of his party in the Senate elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the party’s provincial chief, Professor Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, will be the covering candidate.

JI MPAs and leaders were also present in the commission.

The JI chief asked the chief election commissioner to explain his plan on blocking the use of money in the Senate polls.

He said it was the ECP’s responsibility to check use of money in the polls and ensure free and transparent electoral exercise.

Meanwhile, Siraj condemned the Friday terrorist attack on an imambargah in Peshawar and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.

He asked the government to probe the attack and arrest culprits.

Published in Dawn February 14th , 2015

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