JI chief threatens govt to join protest if dialogue ignored

LAHORE:

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq on Saturday threatened the government to join PTI protesting campaign if ruling PML-N did not start negotiations despite faithful proposals by the Imran Khan.

Talking to different delegations at Mansoora on Saturday, he said if the government did not honour its word in this respect, all the parties believing in justice and fair play would stand by the PTI and nobody would take side with the government coming into being trough rigging.

He welcomed the government’s assurance to step down in case rigging in the 2013 elections was proved, and has urged the PTI to trust the rulers and go ahead with the talks.

Sirajul Haq said that the country could not afford more crises. He said if both the sides, despite their willingness for talks, showed their reservations on minor issues and did not sit on the negotiation table, the situation would become more complex.

The need of the hour, he said, was that both the sides shook off their apprehensions and reposed confidence in each other. When the talks were resumed in all sincerity, all the issues would be resolved automatically, he added.

Sirajul Haq said that the selection of the Chief Election Commissioner had been a big issue but with the appointment of Justice (rtd) Sardar Raza Khan, all political parties and social circles had welcomed the decision and it could be hoped that nobody would dare to raise a finger on the next elections.

The JI chief said that the government should also dismiss the all such officers of the Election Commission about whom different political circles had reservations.

He expressed the hope that the Judicial Commission comprising Supreme Court judges would also be announced soon after which the issues would move towards solution. The Judicial Commission would initiate an impartial probe into rigging in the 2013 elections. With that, the weaknesses in the prevailing electoral system would come to surface and force all political parties to frame a common line of action for remove the weaknesses.