LAKKI MARWAT: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq has called upon the Muslim rulers to sever diplomatic ties with the US and boycott its products, saying that the stiff stand of the Muslim world will force US President Donald Trump to change his decision of declaring Jerusalem as capital of Israel.

He was addressing a public meeting in Naurang town here on Sunday. He said that they would hold Al-Quds million march in Karachi on Dec 17 against the US president’s decision. He regretted that the leadership of Muslim Ummah was in the hands of coward rulers who lacked the courage to raise voice against the US decision.

“The Trump’s decision has hurt the feelings of Muslims across the world and now is the time of test for the Islamic military alliance to announce jihad for independence of Baitul Muqaddus,” Mr Haq said. He also asked the alliance to play its role for ridding the Muslims from the worst kind of terrorism in India-held Kashmir, Palestine and Burma.

Says corrupt people have no right to sit in assemblies

Demanding across-the-board accountability, the JI chief said that all the 436 people named in Panama Papers leaks should be held accountable and those facing NAB references should be barred from contesting next general elections. He said that all those who had looted national wealth had no right to sit in the assemblies.

“Ending corruption is not a difficult task as the menace can be eradicated easily by sending 5,000 to 6,000 corrupt people behind bars,” he told the gathering, saying that hospitals and educational institutions could be established and basic amenities of life given to the people if the Rs12 billion daily corruption was controlled in the country.

Mr Haq said that if voted to power his party would make Pakistan a welfare state where people would have an easy access to free education and healthcare. He reiterated that JI would replace the interest-based economy system with Zakat and Usher system to alleviate poverty and bring economic stability in the country.

He said that Lakki Marwat was rich in resources, but its people lacked sincere and honest leadership and that’s why they were facing numerous problems.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017