LAHORE: Regretting ‘unfair’ treatment of religious schools by the government, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Senator Sirajul Haq has demanded allocation of educational funds for them in the annual budget.

Speaking to students of Darul Uloom Mansoora here on Thursday, he said the rulers were bent upon taking full control of religious schools on the alleged dictation of the IMF and western powers. To achieve the purpose, he added, the ministers were daily issuing ‘irresponsible’ statements against the institutions providing free of cost education, food and shelter to over 3.5 million students and acting as the biggest NGO in the country.

He demanded that the government fulfill its promise of uniform curriculum across the country and generously allocate funds for seminaries.

The JI chief alleged that the prime minister was only making emotional statements and hollow claims but practically handing over control of the government to ‘mafias’ and international lending agencies.

The ground situation about inflation, he said, was also contrary to the prime minister’s claim that prices of essential commodities witnessed a sharp decline in the past few weeks. Meanwhile, Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch has demanded that the Election Commission hold free and fair local government elections in Punjab.

The demand was made during a meeting with Punjab Election Commissioner Ghulam Israr Khan at the latter’s office here on Thursday.

Baloch said it was responsibility of the ECP to conduct elections according to the schedule and not to partner with the governments in its ‘unconstitutional’ act.

He alleged that the provincial governments were using delaying tactics in conducting the local bodies’ polls, depriving the masses of their right to franchise.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2020