JI chief again rules out joining any alliance

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman Tuesday made it clear Jamaat would not become part of any alliance.

“I have already said and again saying there is no change in Jamaat’s stance it will not become part of any alliance”, the JI top leader said while responding to a question at a press conference.

However, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Jamaat leadership would meet leaders of other parties. The JI was ready to sit with them to discuss common issues, saying attending any meeting did not mean JI was going to join any alliance, he said. Naeemur Rehman urged the government to complete Pak-Iran gas pipeline project instead of relying on RLNG agreements. The JI top leader said government was misguiding people on the issue of IPPs and was not worried about 18 billion dollars penalty clause for not completing Pak-Iran gas pipeline project.

He did not agree with the notion Pakistan was under pressure from the United States that it should not go ahead with gas pipeline project with Iran. He alleged the government, at the behest of some mafias, wanted to extend RLNG agreements, and exploration of oil and gas was being slowed down. He said the government was not ready to revise IPPs agreement for the reason what they said it would have to pay heavy penalties for violating international agreements with the power producers.

“The Government is not worried about 18 billion dollars penalty and only talks about consequences of revising IPPs agreements”, Naeemur Rehman said.

JI ameer told newsmen the electricity consumers were also paying capacity charges in the head of Independent Transmission Company (ITC). “Instead of 4,000 megawatts, Wapda has been able to secure less than 1,600 megawatts transmission in the first two years, which is less than 37pc capacity of total transmission”, he said.

He said he would not comment on Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed’s arrest, as it was institution’s internal issue. He, however, said whosoever was involved in smuggling should be held accountable.

He said Army Chief should take notice of allegations that smuggling was taking place in the presence of personnel of an institution.