Flag hoisting: Siraj says basic necessities should be available to all

‘Those who want the country to be secular should move to another place’

LAHORE: “I want a Pakistan where education and health facilities, speedy justice and employment opportunities are available to all citizens,” Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Sunday.

He was addressing a flag hoisting ceremony at JI headquarters in Mansoora. Haq said that after coming to power his party would establish hospitals equipped with all available facilities. The nation’s rulers would be treated for their health problems at these hospitals instead of those in London, he said.

Haq urged the people to support his party in its efforts to transform the country into an Islamic welfare state in accordance with the vision of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The JI chief said that to him Pakistan was like a part of the paradise on earth. He said party workers would not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the country’s defence.

Haq said the country was a blessing from Allah Almighty. “He has blessed our homeland with four seasons,” he said. It was a gift from the Almighty that the country was included in the group of nations with nuclear weapons, he said.

Haq said there was a bright future ahead for Pakistan.  He said that those who wanted Pakistan to be a secular state should move to some other country. After the state established by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in Madina, Pakistan was the only other state formed in the name of Islam, he said.

Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children had sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence. He lamented that after Jinnah’s death the country’s leadership had fallen into the hands of people with secular and liberal political views. He said these leaders were not aware of the goal set for the country by the founding fathers. These leaders had betrayed the nation and the country’s ideology. As a result, we lost the eastern wing of the country and were pushed away from the goal of Islamic revolution,” he said.

He said the enemies of Islam had encircled the country from all sides. He said people were gripped with fear and despair. The cities and towns were frequently witnessing incidents of bloodshed, he said. “If the rulers don’t mend their ways, the country may again face a major tragedy,” he said.

Referring to lifelessness of the federal capital, the JI chief compared Islamabad to a graveyard with zombies.

Haq said the Kashmiris were fighting for Pakistan’s survival. “They have sacrificed their lives for independence from Indian rule and are still bravely facing Indian tanks and guns,” he said. He said very soon the people of Srinagar and Islamabad would celebrate their independence together.

JI secretary general Liaqat Baloch also addressed the gathering.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2016.