PESHAWAR: Jamaat Islami chief Sirajul Haq on Thursday warned that if political forces didn’t agree on free and fair polls through dialogue, the country would drift into anarchy.

“The escalating inflation has caused serious food issues for people, while the country faces the anarchy threat, so all political parties should sit together and agree on free and fair polls,” Mr Siraj told a ceremony held here to launch the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Comprehensive Development Strategy 2023-28.

The JI chief, however, said that PTI chief Imran Khan, PML-N leaders Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari couldn’t pull the country out of its current political and economic crises.

“Only the people can save this country,” he said.

JI chief launches party’s five-year development strategy for KP

Mr Siraj said that whosoever was elected by the people should be allowed to rule the country.

He said that Pakistan’s ruling class was the continuation of the East India Company, so people shouldn’t expect any good of them.

The JI chief flayed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf over the criticism of the military establishment for “supporting” his political rivals.

He said the PTI’s diatribe against the establishment was a reaction to the latter not siding with the former.

Mr Siraj said that if the establishment, judiciary, and Election Commission of Pakistan acted “neutrally” during elections, then the Jamaat would defeat rivals.

“The establishment intervenes only in those spheres in which politicians give them space. Politically weak members of both opposition and treasury look to it for protection,” he said.

The JI chief complained about the poor security situation in the country.

“This law and order situation is the result of a war economy. Those backing the current [federal] government can put this genie back into the bottle,” he said.

Mr Siraj said that the military generals, Pakistan Peoples Party, PTI and Pakistan Democratic Movement had ruled the country but they miserably failed to come up with the goods.

He wondered why bureaucrats and rulers lived like Mogul emperors at the cost of the people.

The JI chief said that the establishment and its “lackeys” ruled the country for the last 75 years but the rule of law had always evaded the country.

On the occasion, former provincial senior minister Inayatullah Khan unveiled the Comprehensive Development Strategy 2023-28.

He said following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the province’s revenue and powers had increased and therefore, it was necessary for political parties to have their own development road map.

Mr Khan said during the current polarisation when political forces were at each other’s throats, the Jamaat had taken that initiative to promote positive thinking among the people.

He said that the CDS was meant to frame a clear roadmap and get measurable targets for socioeconomic development in the province.

The minister said that pillars of the development strategy included economic sustainability, development initiatives, public welfare, governance, and reforms.

He said that the CDS would seek a broad political understanding on the minimum common ground for the development and provincial rights.

Mr Khan said that the strategy would entail the eradication of corruption, the achieving of transparency, efficiency, punctuality, responsiveness and financial discipline, and accountability at all levels.

He said that after coming to power, his party would set up the provincial accountability bureau after abolishing all other agencies for accountability.

Mr Khan said that the provincial assembly’s public accounts committee would be strengthened.

“We [Jamaat] will generate 100,000 jobs in this province if people elect us to power. We will also focus on energy generation in the province besides developing education and health sectors,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2023