SWABI: Jamaat-i-Islami former chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday said that Pakistan’s mediation between Iran and the US had boosted the country’s image in the world.

Speaking to media persons, he said: “Peace in the region is in Pakistan’s interests, and we should prioritise diplomacy over war.” He underscored that peace was linked to economic prosperity and development.

He hoped that Pakistan’s efforts would result in forging lasting peace in the volatile Middle East.

Turning to Pakistan’s politics, he claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers had expressed their distrust in their own leadership.

“The PTI workers have spoken out against their former chief ministers, Pervez Khattak, Mahmood Khan and the incumbent, Sohail Afridi,” he said. “PTI’s provincial government has failed to resolve public issues and control inflation as the leadership is focused on securing Imran Khan’s release from jail.”

Haq, who remained the finance minister during the religious parties’ government in the province, said that PTI workers had admitted that unemployment had reached an alarming stage in the province.

The former JI emir also attended a consultative meeting held in Ahya-ul-Uloom Mansabdar.

On the occasion, Haq said that a membership drive would be launched across Pakistan. “At the district level, a peaceful protest movement will be launched to press the government to address the farmers’ issues, end electric loadshedding, resume CNG supply, and arrest the deteriorating law and order situation.

He said that the campaign would have the support of traders, transporters, miners’ unions, CNG station owners, farmers, labourers and others. “A huge protest will be held on May 5 at Swabi Aman Chowk,” he said.

Haq criticised the central and provincial governments, saying the federal government was unjustifiably increasing the prices of petroleum products, burdening the common man, while various types of ‘illegal’ taxes had hit the businessmen and common people alike.

JI provincial general secretary Sabir Hussain Awan and president of the political committee Wajid Ali Shah also spoke on the occasion, saying that the planned protest campaign would continue till the issues were resolved.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2026