PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq has said that neither his party wants to see the sit-in in Islamabad fail nor it supports any move to derail democracy.

Addressing a public meeting at Khyber Bazaar here on Sunday, the JI chief, who is leading a ‘political jirga’ to resolve stand-off between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), did not come out with a clear stance of his party about the current political crisis in Islamabad. JI is the coalition partner of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.

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“Jamaat-i-Islami neither wants to see the sit-in fail nor supports any undemocratic step,” he said. The public meeting was organised in connection with JI’s countrywide mass awareness campaign.

A large number of JI workers attended the rally, which was also addressed by central leaders of the party.

Siraj told his workers that political jirga was trying to find out dignified solution of the month long sit-in in the federal capital. “We do not want Egypt-like situation in Pakistan where a military general has taken over power after the crisis,” he said and urged rival parties to show seriousness to resolve the stalemate. He said that political jirga had given proposals to the rival parties and did not announce its decision.

JI chief avoids giving ‘clear’ stance of his party on Islamabad sit-in

The JI chief said that people had been protesting in Islamabad for the last 40 days that created an impression that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was in government in the day while PTI and PAT ruled the streets in the night.

He asked the ruling elites to give up aristocratic style of ruling and change their behaviour. “Rulers should learn lesson from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan where people revolted against injustices in the society,” he said.

He said that landlords, military generals and corrupt aristocratic class had been ruling the country for the last 66 years and people were fed up with the existing system.

Expressing concern over lawlessness in Balochistan, Mr Siraj said that angry Baloch raised arms and launched insurgency because they were disappointed with the system. He said that he would constitute a jirga to holds talks with disgruntled Baloch leaders next month. He said that the jirga would pacify disgruntled Baloch leaders and bring them to the Chief Minister’ House in Quetta and Islamabad.

Talking about the plight of the internally displaced persons from North Waziristan Agency and other parts of the tribal agencies, the JI chief said that IDPs were facing numerous problems and their children were deprived of education.

He demanded of the government to send back IDPs to those areas of Fata which had been secured and declared safe.

Mr Siraj said that JI would launch ‘Pakistan Movement’ from Minar-i-Pakistan, Lahore from March 21 which would continue for three days. He said that millions of people would take part in the movement.

The JI chief said that being a sovereign state, Pakistan needed neutral foreign policy to get rid of the US dictations. He said that military and civilian governments had been taking dictations from Washington. He expressed reservations over massive construction in the US Embassy in Islamabad and alleged that America was establishing garrison in the name of diplomatic mission.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd , 2014