LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq condemned the suicide bombing of a JUI-F workers’ convention in Bajaur tribal district and asked the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rulers to step down over their “failure to protect public life.”

Addressing the Haqooq-i-Malakand Rally in Chakdara area here on Sunday night, the JI chief said authorities had failed to control terrorists, including suicide bombers, and therefore, attacks were being carried out against mosques, seminaries, markets and public gatherings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should step down before the completion of his term in office on August 14 over the failure of his government to provide security to the people.

Mr Siraj said the corrupt rulers created offshore companies and transferred taxpayers’ money to their foreign bank accounts but the Supreme Court and National Accountability Bureau failed to hold them accountable.

Complains NAB hasn’t held corrupt rulers accountable

“They (rulers) bought properties and palaces abroad to protect the future of their princes and princesses at the cost of the future of our children,” he said.

The JI chief said only his party could ensure the accountability of those ‘thieves’ as none of its leaders was involved in corruption or corrupt practices.

He said the PDM and his allies had come to power only to get court cases against them quashed.

Mr Siraj said both PPP leader Asif Zardai and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif were striving to claim the prime minister’s office for their children.

He said after coming to power with people’s votes, the Jamaat would eliminate “VIP culture” and interest-based economy, enforce Islam’s system of governance and justice, protect rights of women and non-Muslims, restore Friday as the weekly off, and promote Urdu as the official language.

“Our [JI] government will provide free education to all citizens, do away with ‘extra’ privileges of judges, military generals and bureaucrats, strengthen local bodies, and try to enforce the Umar Ibne Khittab model of governance in the country,” he said.

The JI chief said the last PTI government ignored the development of Malakand division and didn’t include the region in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

He regretted a long delay in the completion of the 45mw Koto hydropower project.

Mr Siraj said nine points were identified in Malakand and Chitral areas to promote trade with Afghanistan and Tajikistan, but no progress had taken place on them.

He said the government bought electricity for Rs2.5 per unit and sold it to the people for Rs50 per unit.

“If power produced in Malakand division is given to the residents, power cuts will come to an end,” he said.

The JI chief claimed that Wapda employees, bureaucrats and other government officers utilised free electricity but its price was unfairly taken from people.

He said if his party formed the next government, special initiatives would be taken for overseas Pakistanis.

The rally was attended by thousands of JI workers, traders and transporters from across Malakand division.

Published in Dawn, Aug 1st, 2023