SUKKUR: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Pakistan’s emir Senator Sirajul Haq has objected to the scenario of formation of a national government and raised questions over the 16-month performance of the PDM alliance.

Addressing the ‘Electoral Convention’ held at the Mehran Cultural Complex here, he said the mainstream political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, focused only on making their leaders prime ministers, chief ministers, ministers, and taking hefty loans from the international institutes like the IMF.

Those political parties had ruled Pakistan for about the past 76 years and still there were two systems in the country, one for the rich and other for the poor.

He said the poor had been deprived of basic facilities, such as gas, electricity, education and health while the children of the rich were educated at expensive schools and treated at better hospitals.

Mr Siraj said: “Poor people had to face the consequences and bear the brunt of what they [parties] do.”

“If the people give us a chance in the elections, we will first of all abolish the system based on usury and distribute millions of acres of barren land among the youth and provide them with tractors, fertiliser and seeds so that they can benefit from it and stand on their own feet,” he vowed.

He told the participants that when he was made finance minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the post he served twice, he went to a mosque and presented himself for accountability. “I even today present myself for accountability before people,” he added.

He asked if Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif had ever presented themselves for accountability as he did.

Mr Haq said that once again there were talks of forming a national government, hence he asked them as to what was the performance of the 13 parties that remained in the government for 16 months.

Those parties once again wanted the country to be governed by a government consisting of feudal lords and influential people, he said.

The survival of the present Pakistan was only possible if the right laws were followed and the Islamic system was implemented, he said, adding that the Jamaat people were working to improve the system.

Lashing out at the previous Sindh ruling party, he said that the whole Sindh was submerged in floods and rainwater, but it was not the concern for them [PPP].

Even the murders of journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar and educationist Ajmal Sawand, and abduction of young Hindu girl Priya Kumari were not issues for them, he said.

Israeli bombardment in Gaza

He said the Israeli army had turned the Gaza Strip into Karbala by pounding iron over it and unleased brutality over barehanded Palestinians.

He regretted that billions of people and millions of militaries soldiers from 58 Muslims countries had not done anything to stop brutality and aggression against Palestinians.

He said he had visited several Muslims countries, including Iran and Turkey, where he spoke about helping the oppressed Palestinians brothers.

“I noticed everyone was ready to provide biscuits, toffees, milk and other necessary relief items,” he said and asked if such items do anything for the Palestinians and alleviate their sorrows.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023