KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami has “sacrificed the lives of at least nine workers in Karachi central district” in recent years after which it becomes the party’s moral responsibility to contest the NA-246 by-poll, said JI chief Sirajul Haq on Friday.

The announcement made at a women’s rally on Shahrah-i-Pakistan laid to rest the speculation about the party’s understanding with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for the April 23 voting that was hinted at by Imran Khan and his aides on several occasions.

The JI chief said his party would fulfil the “moral responsibility at any cost”.

“After such a huge sacrifice by our workers, it’s our moral responsibility to contest elections from NA-246,” he said.

“Now the people of Karachi have to decide whether they are with the bullet or with the ballot. It’s high time we brought an end to the politics of violence, guns and fear and struggle through a true democratic process for a sustainable peace in the city,” the JI chief added.

He also criticised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement over “deteriorating Karachi peace” considering that the party had been in power for 10 consecutive years.

“Karachi which was one known for its peace, harmony and lights, is now recognised as the city of shutter-down strike,” he said. “The people of Karachi had not only supported the MQM, they even spent their money and cast their votes in every election in the past. The tragedy is that the party gave them fear, violence and strikes in return.”

He asked MQM Altaf Hussain to disband the “militia within the MQM” and bring the workers booked for murders and other heinous crimes before a court if he really wanted peaceful Karachi. “But I am sure that he will never do this. He [Mr Hussain] has tendered resignation at least nine times from the party’s leadership only to back out from his own words,” the JI chief said.

Meanwhile, the MQM is all set to stage a huge rally at the Liaquatabad No 10 intersection first time since the last month Rangers raid on the party headquarters, better known as Nine Zero.

Being organised in connection with the ongoing campaign for the by-poll in the Azizabad constituency, the rally was expected to attract a huge turnout that would be addressed by MQM founding chief Altaf Hussain over the phone, party leaders said.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

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