Siraj demands APC over inquiry commission report

LAHORE: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer, Sirajul Haq, has asked the government to call an All Parties Conference (APC) on the report of the inquiry commission probing the alleged rigging in the 2013 General Elections.
Siraj demanded strict accountability of the government functionaries responsible for irregularities in the general elections in the light of the Judicial Commission’s report and urged the nation to stand up against political terrorists.
He was addressing a seminar in memory of former JI Ameer Mian Tufail Muhammad on his sixth death anniversary at Mansoorah on Sunday. Eminent speakers including senior jurist SM Zafar, Mujibur Rehman Shami, Oriya Maqbool Jan, PTI’s Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Sajjad Mir, Dr Hussain Ahmed Paracha and Liaquat Baloch paid rich tributes to Mian Tufail Muhammad over his services for the enforcement of the Islamic system in the country and role in framing the 1973 Constitution on Islamic lines.
Siraj said irregularities had been committed by the functionaries appointed by the government and they must be taken to task for that. The JI chief said democracy was essential for the country like water and light. However, he said, the JI believed in Islamic democracy in which the common man enjoyed equal rights along with the rulers and the masses were partners in the government system through their elected representatives.
Siraj said the Constitution was Islamic in character and under it no law could be made which is repugnant to Quranand Sunnah. He said the Constitution had not been implemented even for a single day and the rulers themselves were the biggest hurdle in its implementation.
He said he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Masjid-e-Nabvi during the holy month of Ramazan and requested him to order abolition of interest-based economic system, stop obscenity through the media and frame a code of ethics for the media, and for ending the proxy war in the country in order to restore peace.
He said he had also met Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and called upon the government to raise its voice against victimisation of the JI Bangladesh leaders by the Dhaka government.
Sirajul Haq said it was incumbent upon the government to support the Kashmiris’ struggle for independence. However, he said the rulers had been sabotaging the Kashmiri freedom movement.
SM Zafar said on the occasion the JI had never indulged in unlawful activities yet it had been facing curbs in the past. He demanded the JI leadership move the International Court of Justice against the trials of JI Bangladesh leaders by the BD government, and said he was ready to contest the JI case there.
Mujibur Rehman Shami noted that Maulana Abul Aala Maudoodi and Mian Tufail Muhammad rendered invaluable services for framing the 1973 Constitution, which was Islamic in character.
Auria Maqbool Jan said the people of Bangladesh were paying a high price for their revolt against Islamabad. He said prior to 1970, no Bengali had to go to India for a job but at present, about 9.7 million Bengalis were doing jobs under the Hindus in India for small salaries.