LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has demanded the government to recognise the Taliban-run Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regardless of the stance of the US and other western powers on the issue.

Addressing a national conference here on Tuesday, he said the war-torn Afghanistan needed stability, peace and reconstruction and it was responsibility of the world to help the Taliban in achieving these objectives.

The conference organised by Jamiat Ulema Islam-Samiul Haq (JUI-S) was attended by religious leadership from across the country, where JI head Sirajul Haq was the chief guest.

The JI chief said the victory of “Afghan people” over a super power pumped a new spirit in the hearts of Muslims and “freedom fighters” across the world. He reiterated that peace in Afghanistan was vital for the peace in the entire South Asia.

He said India was hatching conspiracies to destabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan, asking the government and security forces to remain vigilant to counter the threat.

Mr Haq criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for failing to control inflation and unemployment. He said the prime minister had promised to transform Pakistan into a Madina-like state but could not fulfill his commitment in three years of his party’s rule.

He said it had been proved the PTI was also an “agent of the status quo”. He said there was no difference in the policies of the PTI, the PML-N and the PPP as all these parties had failed to meet the expectations of the masses during their respective governments.

“Pakistan needs Islamic system,” he stressed, asking the religious leaders to play their role to transform the country into an Islamic welfare state as envisaged by its founding father and millions of the Muslims of this region. The JI was struggling hard to achieve the objective and it would continue its movement against the anti-people policies of the ruling elite, he concluded.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021