RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-i-Islami deputy emir Liaquat Baloch has cautioned the federal government aga­inst making hasty decisions about the Gaza Board of Peace, emphasising that Pakistan must not ‘blindly plunge’ into the initiative without a thorough assessment of its implications and the broader geopolitical landscape.

Speaking at a press conference at JI offices in Rawalpindi, Mr Baloch said that US president has adopted an unacceptable approach which has threatened the world peace.

JI’s Rawalpindi emir Syed Arif Shirazi, district general secretary Usman Akash, Naib Umra and other leaders accompanied him.

“Palestine belongs to Palestinians, we stand in solidarity with them and condemn the US aggressive approach. If the issue of Palestine and Kashmir is resolved, the world will come on the path of peace,” he said.

Referring to fire tragedy of Gul Plaza in Karachi, Mr Baloch expressed sorrow and offered condolences to families affected and asked the federal and provincial governments to compensate for these losses and form an impartial fact-finding commission about the tragedy to find out whose negligence caused this.

The JI leader also discussed PTI’s planned Feb 8 protest and said that the protest is PTI’s constitutional right as an opposition party. Mr Baloch also spoke about Punjab Local Government Act and said the people have termed it a black law.

“If there is anything related to raising the age of voters to 25, the matter should be discussed in the parliament,” he said, adding that unfortunately, in Punjab, an unauthorised local government system has been imposed on the people as the PML-N government is not ready to give power to the people.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2026