JI Acting Emir Liaqat Baloch condemns the govt’s decision to ban the PTI, calling it ridiculous & absurd

LAHORE, July 15 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami Acting Emir Liaqat Baloch has condemned the government’s decision to ban the PTI, calling it ridiculous and absurd.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Monday, Liaqat Baloch said the government is engaging in dirty politics, warning it of the consequences of this anti-democratic move.

Liaqat Baloch asserted that the ruling party is acting as a tool of the establishment to stay in power. He urged the political leadership to come together to resolve the ongoing crises in the country. Restoring the people’s mandate based on Form 45, he suggested, is crucial to solving the current political and economic issues.

JI Secretary General Ameerul Azim and Information Secretary Qaisar Sharif accompanied Liaqat Baloch during the press conference. Liaqat Baloch criticized the trial of political figures under Article 6 of the Constitution, arguing that a government that came to power through a fake mandate lacks the moral and constitutional authority to make key decisions. While he acknowledged the government’s constitutional right to review the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats, he contended that it lacks the moral authority to prevent elected members from joining their party.

Liaqat Baloch denounced the government’s authorization for intelligence agencies to tap citizens’ phones, calling it an invasion of privacy and unconstitutional.

He emphasized that the JI is committed to fighting for the people’s rights and the establishment of the rule of law and the constitution. He noted that the JI had faced ban in the past, successfully challenging such decisions in court during dictatorships. The JI, he said, had opposed ban on the NAP during the Bhutto era and the TLP under previous government.

The JI acting Emir said the JI would hold sit-in in Islamabad on July 26 to protest against the increase in electricity tariffs and unfair taxes imposed on salaried classes in the budget. He criticized the ruling elite for refusing to relinquish their luxuries while burdening the common man with inflation and unfair taxes, and for increasing administrative expenses.