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Thursday November 28, 2024

Pakistanshould keep Kashmir on top of agenda: Siraj

Talks with New Delhi

By our correspondents
February 15, 2015
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq advised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif not to be trapped by the tricks of Indian Premier Narendra Modi and stressed that Pakistan should keep the Kashmir issue at the top of the agenda for any talks with New Delhi.
Talking to the media at Punjab University (PU) on Saturday where he spoke as the chief guest at the 62nd annual congregation of the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT), Siraj said Modi could not be well-wisher of Pakistan.
Commenting on Modi’s phone call to Nawaz, the JI chief said Modi had suffered a humiliating defeat at his home after which he was contacting different leaders in the region.
Siraj disapproved the idea of Valentine’s Day and said “it is repugnant to Islamic teachings and principles.”
“We, the Muslims, shower love and affection throughout the year whereas the Valentine’s Day is celebrated by those who spread hatred all the year and had only a single day to talk about love.”
Earlier, he addressed a gathering and urged the government to lift the ban on the student unions, saying it helped promote democratic values in the country. He added that the students were the vanguard of the Islamic revolution and they should be groomed for running the country.
The JI chief further said the colonial powers did not want democracy to flourish in Muslims countries because dictators suited them the most.
He said in Egypt, the elected government of Dr Morsi was toppled with the help of a military general while power was not transferred to the elected people in Palestine and Algeria.
Siraj warned the federal government and Sindh government that if they failed to provide justice to the families of 259 workers burnt to death at the Baldia Town factory then their rule would not last for long.
He said the JIT report had been prepared by senior officials of the state agencies. However, he added, unfortunately, the courts and the law seemed to be helpless where big criminals were involved.