LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has said that the clouds of martial law have veered away, but democracy in the country is still on the deathbed.

Talking to the media after a meeting with a delegation of Lahore High Court Bar Association here on Tuesday, he said the political Jirga had made sincere efforts to pull the country out of the political crisis.

Know more: ‘Nation can’t afford yet another new Pakistan’

Although, the deadlock existed the talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) could resume if the former proved through its actions that it was sincere in implementing decisions already agreed upon by both the parties, he added.

Mr Haq said there was least possibility of mid-term elections, however, the government’s total failure to deliver was creating a room for that.

The government, he said, was only struggling for its survival instead of providing relief to the people.

He said the government would have to take prompt steps for electoral reforms which could make the elections process transparent and minimise the chances of rigging.

The JI chief urged the government to give a tit-for-tat reply to unprovoked Indian aggression which has caused heavy casualties.

Talking to Wifaqul Madaris Secretary General Qari Mohammad Hanif Jaulandhary, Mr Haq underscored the need for unity among religious forces to foil designs of anti-Islam and secular elements to alter the ideological character of the country.

Meanwhile, JI secretary-general Liaqat Baloch said that persistent Indian shelling on the LoC and the working boundary had pushed the region towards a war and a nuclear threat.

In a statement, he said a mere reference to the Kashmir issue by Nawaz Sharif in the UN General Council meeting and the recent letter to the UN secretary-general won’t help solve the issue.

The need of the hour was to revive the principled Kashmir policy and unite the nation against Indian designs and derive full support from the Kashmiri leadership on this important issue.

Mr Baloch strongly condemned the US decision of declaring Fazlur Rehman Khalil as a terrorist.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2014