TIMERGARA: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday demanded of the federal government to convene the meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI) on Kashgar-Gwadar Economic Corridor so that the matter could be resolved through national consensus.

Addressing a big public meeting in Jandol area in connection with campaign for by-election in PK-95, he asked the government to avoid creating any controversy regarding the economic corridor and take the nation into confidence before making final decision regarding its route.

The JI chief said that government should also announce the sites for the proposed economic zones to be built along the route of the economic corridor.

The rally was also addressed by JI provincial chief Prof Ibrahim Khan, Shabab-i- Milli Pakistan president Zubair Ahmad Gondal, MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former MNAs Shabir Ahmad Khan and Maulana Asadullah, MPA Saeed Gul, PTI leader Fazalullah Khiyam and JI candidate for PK-95 Izazul Mulk Afkari.

On the occasion, about 150 workers of ANP announced to join JI.

Sirajul Haq said that China was investing huge amount in the country as it would spend $46 billion on the economic corridor. “The government should take careful decision about it so that the huge amount doesn’t go waste owing the wrong policy of Islamabad,” he said.

The JI chief said that they wanted change through ballot instead of bullet. “We are struggling for the enforcement of Islamic Sharia in Pakistan through peaceful and democratic means. Islam cannot be enforced by use of force,” he said.

He also criticised Nadra authorities for their failure to release thousands of blocked Computerised National Identity Cards of local people. He said that the residents of Dir Lower had set up protest camp in Peshawar against Nadra for blocking their national identity cards. He said that Nadra authorities had promised to resolve the matter within three months but so far nothing had been done in that regard.

Sirajul Haq said that JI candidate Izaz ul Mulk was the best choice of the party as he was an honest, educated and active worker, who belonged to a poor family. He said that the JI candidate could better serve people of the area as compared to the candidates of other political parties.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2015

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