ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Senator Sirjaul Haq on Tuesday criticised the government for not working for interest-free economy in the country.

The JI emir was talking to media persons outside the Federal Shariat Court where he attended hearing in a petition against the interest based economic system.

Senator Sirajul Haq said in its election campaign, the PTI had made numerous promises but after coming to power, it forgot them.

He said it was the responsibility of the government to work for interest-free economy in line with its election promise of making Pakistan a Madina-like state.

He said if the PTI did not take any step in this direction, it would be going back on its election promises.

He said in 1992, the Federal Shariat Court in its verdict ordered the government to take steps for interest free economy, but the then Nawaz Sharif government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the FSC decision and the SC sent the matter back to the FSC for a review.

The JI chief said around 15 per cent of the banking system in the country, involving some Rs2.4 trillion deposits, was under the interest-free Islamic system.

He also added presently only 35 per cent of the people of the country had their money in the banks.

However, he said if the banks switched over to the interest free system, 100pc of the people would despot their money in the banks which would strengthen the national economy.

He said he had moved a bill in the Senate demanding complete ban on interest based private business in the federal capital.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2019