MANSEHRA: Jamaat-i-Islami central emir Sirajul Haq has said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement are two sides of the same coin as their politics revolves around personalities.

“There is no difference between the political philosophies of PTI and PDM as none of them is making efforts to change the existing system,” Mr Siraj told reporters here on Friday.

He said his party would never join the PDM as the former wanted to enforce Islamic laws in the country but the latter was trying to topple the PTI government to serve own interests.

“We firmly believe that only the Islamic system of governance can bring about the people’s development. However, both PTI and PDM are fighting for political power,” he said.

The JI chief said the PTI and PDM were not sincere about the elimination of the use of money and horse-trading in politics, including elections, and therefore, the country’s democratic system stood shattered.

He said the Supreme Court should announce such an electoral mechanism for the Senate elections that would uphold the sanctity of vote and end the use of money in the elections.

Mr Siraj called the PDM’s proposed long march on Islamabad against the PTI government a political stunt and said it was meant for the opposition alliance’s own political survival.

Earlier in the day, he led the funeral prayer of senior lawyer and former provincial assembly candidate Khan Afzal Khan, who passed away after protected illness.

FUNDS APPROVED: The provincial government on Friday approved Rs15 million funds for the beautification of Balakot and Garhi Habibullah towns.

“The funds will be spent on the beautification of parks and places in both cities and their outskirts,” adviser to the chief minister on population Ahmad Hussain Shah told reporters in Garhi Habibullah area.

He said he had sought the approval of those funds from the chief minister.

The adviser said funds would be spent on the beatification of Garhi Habibullah Central Chowk, Hasari Chowk, Bisian Chowk and Balakot Chowk.

He said work on many mega development projects was under way in his constituency, PK-30, and once it was over, the people would have access to better civic services.

Mr Shah said the government wanted to put backward areas on the way to prosperity and development and therefore, more and more funds were being earmarked for the purpose.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2021