Masses to reject corrupt, plunderers in elections: Munawar Hasan

Lahore: Ameer Jamaat e Islami Pakistan Syed , has said that people traveling by many boats and heading towards different destinations could not ameliorate the lot of the people and the nation should change its attitude and support honest and patriotic forces in the coming elections. He was addressing the oath taking ceremony of the newly elected provincial chiefs of the JI.

In the light of the recent elections held through secret ballot, Dr. Syed Waseem Akhtar has been reelected as the Punjab chief of the JI. Dr Merajul Huda has been elected as the Sindh chief of the Jamaat. Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan has been reelected as the JI Khyer P and Akhundzada Abdul Mateen has been re-elected as Balochistan chief of the party. Besides, the four provincial chiefs, Mian Maqsood Ahmed took oath as the newly elected chief of the JI Lahore. The provincial chiefs are elected for a three year term.

Addressing the ceremony, Syed Munawar Hasan said that the real target of the destructive forces was to keep the reformists and honest people out of the electoral arena and to retain power by themselves. However, he said, that any form of rigging wont be tolerated in the general elections and warned that if the rulers attempted to subvert the electoral process to achieve the results of their liking, it could prove to be the last election and the poverty stricken and deprived masses could adopt the path of revolution. In such a situation, the rulers wont find any path to flee.

The JI Ameer said that the masses believed that price hike was linked with President Zardari, and in the same way, they thought elections inseparable from rigging. However, those habitual of changing the public mandate, would not succeed this time.

Syed Munawar Hasan called upon the Army Chief to inform the nation about the outcome of the military operations in the past, to give up the idea of military operations in tribal areas and Balochistan and Waziristan, announce general amnesty and adopt the path of dialogue.

The JI Ameer said that the government had fulfilled one of the JI’s conditions by appointing an impartial Chief Election Commissioner. He hoped that the remaining two conditions would also be fulfilled, that was setting up an interim government enjoying the support of all the parties, and preparing error free, and transparent electoral rolls. He said this would save the country from chaos and anarchy.

Syed Munawar Hasan deplored that the rulers always preferred the US interests to the national interests. He said it was high time that the country pulled out of the US war and resume the task of nation building.The JI Ameer said it was an irony that the US which was not ready to offer an apology for the Salala attack that killed 24 troops, was so keen to offer help in the Malala incident. What could be the US objectives that were being kept hidden from the masses, he asked.He said that only an honest and competent leadership could bring about a real change in the country and added that the Jamaat e Islami alone had such leadership. The thieves could not amputate the hands of thieves nor would the corrupt punish the corrupt, he remarked.

Syed Munawar Hasan, clarified that the JUP chief, Sahibzada Dr. Abul Khair, had at his meeting with him, denied that any of the MMA parties had expressed reservations in regard to the Jamaat e Islami. Therefore, he said, Maulana Fazlur Rahman should clarify his own position in this respect.