PTI to support JI candidate from PK 95

Lahore: The Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf has announced support to the Jamaat e Islami candidate in the by-election from PP 95. Lower Dir and has directed its workers to vote for the JI candidate Aizazul Mulk Afkari.

According to details, the PTI spokesperson MNA Aisha Gilalai and provincial minister Ziaullah Afridi called on the Ameer, JI, Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq, at Al-Markaz Islami, Peshawar, on  and informed him of the decision to support the JI candidate from PK 95.

In return, the Ameer, JIP, Sirajul Haq, told the TI delegation that the JI had also decided to support the PTI candidate for Senate seat vacated due to the death of ex- Senator Azam Khan Hoti.

The two sides informed the media of their decisions at a joint press conference held on the occasion. Addressing the joint press conference, PTI MNA Aisha Gilalai appealed to the PTI workers to vote for the JI candidate from the PK 95, in the polling tomorrow, Thursday, and ensure his success.

Meanwhile,The central Shoora of the Jamaat e Islami, has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating economic conditions in the country, political instability and the worsening law and order.

A resolution adopted by the Shoora at its meeting chaired by the JI chief Senator Srajul Haq, said that contrary to the government claims, the economy of the country was on the decline. It noted that during the last six years, the quantum of internal and foreign loans of the country had risen from Rs. 6700 billion to Rs. 18900 causing high inflation. It noted that the tax receipt target had not been realized.  Because of the wrong policies of the government, the country’s agriculture, agricultural economy and the farming community had suffered badly. In some cases, the growers had not covered even the cost of their crops of sugar cane, cotton, paddy, wheat and potato. The paddy growers had not been paid subsidy of Rs. 5000 despite the government announcement. Unemployment was on the rise and even the literate blind were protesting on roads.

The Shoora called upon the government to present the details of the recent agreements made with China so as to ensure transparency. The details of about the timing of the beginning and completion of different projects, their usefulness and actual cost, should be placed before the parliament and the relevant committees of the National Assembly and the Senate. It said that such a measure was also essential because corruption had gone deep into the state machinery.

Welcoming the setting up of the Judicial Commission to probe into rigging, the Shoora said that this decision at a much earlier stage should have been much more useful.

The JI central consultative body however stressed that electoral reforms were the need of the hour. It said that the prevailing electoral system only strengthened the hereditary and feudal politics and helped the corrupt mafias to return to the assemblies. The Shoora said it was time that drastic changes were made in the electoral system to control organized rigging and bogus voting.

In this regard, the JI Shoora urged the Election Commission to start the updating of the electoral rolls in January every year as laid down in the constitution and also undertake the process of weeding out bogus votes from the electoral lists under the supervision of the armed forces or the Rangers in the light of the Supreme Court decision. It also called for giving due importance to said that the national census.

The Shoora felt that the implementation on the NAP against terrorism in the wake of the Peshawar Army Public School was negligible and the government had failed to make any progress on most of the points of the NAP including the arrests of the culprits involved in the Peshawar tragedy. On the other hand, it said, the government had spent most of its time in an uncalled-for campaign against the mosques and mdrissahs, which was aimed at harassing the religious circles instead of wiping out terrorism.

The JI Shoora renewed its commitment to stand by the masses especially against the problems of poverty, price hike, load shedding, lawlessness, and terrorism. It said that the JI would organize the oppressed and downtrodden masses in line with its people’s agenda for the enforcement of the Islamic system with the ultimate aim to establish a truly Islamic, welfare state.