Sirajul Haq reiterates demand of fresh elections & also calls for electoral reforms before the polls

LAHORE, April 19 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Sirajul Haq has reiterated the demand of fresh elections and also called for electoral reforms before the polls.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Tuesday, Sirajul Haq said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should hold national dialogue for the revival of the economy. The current PM, he added, had frequently highlighted the need of national dialogue on economy as an opposition leader in the same assembly.

He said the JI believed the general elections were the only way forward to bring the country out of prevailing crises. The nation, he added, was badly polarized and it was the responsibility of the political forces to unite the people. He said the ruling elite failed to address the problems of the people and their only objective was to achieve power by using all fair unfair means. He said few families were in power for years with the backing of establishment and they never showed seriousness towards country.

The JI, Sirajul Haq said, wanted free and fair elections with the principle of proportional representations. The JI, he said, also prepared a draft on electoral reforms and a committee comprising Liaqat Baloch, Mian Aslam, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan and Ameerul Azim was formed to meet the political parties to develop consensus on the poll reforms.

He said the PTI failed to deliver in three and half years and it seemed the new government would also be unable to perform because it was amalgamation of different parties having no common agenda.

He demanded the prime minister recognize the Afghanistan government and start dialogue with all political parties to cool down the prevailing tension and tussle among workers and followers of different parties.

To a question, Sirajul Haq replied the former prime minister Imran Khan made a telephonic contact and the JI welcomed it though the PTI chairman contacted him after five years. He demanded the Supreme Court form a judicial commission to hold independent investigation into letter-gate.

The JI Emir earlier presided over Majlis-e-Aamala (Working Committee) meeting which condemned the Israeli forces terrorist attack on Masjide Aqsa and Islamophobic incidents in Sweden. It demanded the OIC and the UNO take notice of the Israeli aggression and victimization of Muslim community in different parts of the world.