MALAKAND/LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Thursday resented the closure of educational institutions over the outbreak of coronavirus and insisted that the government’s move wasted the time of students.

He was speaking to reporters during a mass wedding ceremony organised by the Al-Khidmat Foundation Malakand Division in Batkhela for 31 couples.

Mr Siraj criticised the government over failure to bad governance and said the ruling PTI was no different from the opposition PDM.

He said it was the government’s responsibility to provide the people with healthcare, education and other facilities.

The JI chief accused the prime minister of making a U-turn on Kashmir issue and said Pakistan should not hold talks with India on it.

“PM Imran Khan had announced that he won’t hold talks with India, but he did otherwise,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Siraj attended the Estehkam-i-Khandan Women Convention at Ahyaul Uloom in Balambat area of Lower Dir district.

He demanded the government establish separate educational institutions for girls, insisting that co-education is ‘destroying the family system’.

The JI chief said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government had established the Khyber Medical College for Girls in 2004.

He said the Election Commission of Pakistan should declare those, who did not give share in property to female family members, ineligible to contest elections.

Mr Siraj asked women to strengthen the family system, which, he said, is essential to form an Islamic society.

He urged the women to take place in politics for own and national development.

He said Islamic values and traditions were under threat.

The JI and its Women’s Wing jointly arranged the event in which over 800 women from different parts of the district showed up.

Also, the JI chief met overseas Pakistanis in Balambat and asked them to support the party’s efforts for the introduction of Islamic system of governance in the country.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2021