Taking stock: As political deadlock persists, JI shura convenes

Party rejects notion it’s supporting either group in sit-ins

ISLAMABAD:

As the Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) central shura meets over the next three days, the party has rejected the impression that it will choose sides between the government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the ongoing political impasse.

“The shura will have a detailed discussion over routine agenda, national issues and a report on the party’s efforts to resolve the standoff between the government and opposition in order to devise our own agenda,” said Deputy Secretary General Dr Fareed Paracha. “The agenda has nothing to do with the government or PTI.”

JI chief Sirajul Haq has advocated for reconciliation between the government and the opposing parties even though negotiations have not yielded tangible results. The meeting of the central shura will take place against the backdrop of persisting political deadlock.

The stalemate between the government and the PTI and PAT has given JI the opportunity to serve as mediator. While the PTI, the JI’s coalition partner in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) resigned from the National and provincial assemblies, the JI has not endorsed the move, asking the NA Speaker to delay any decision over the resignations.

In addition, the K-P opposition had submitted a no-confidence motion against chief minister Pervez Khattak as a precautionary measure to stop the dissolution of the assembly. A senior government official told The Express Tribune that the motion hinges on the PML-N as the assembly will be dissolved if the party chooses, as the JI does not enjoy strength in numbers here.

Dr Paracha added that the party intends to start a ‘movement’ to address problems faced by the general public as well as push for electoral reforms. “We are going to start a massive campaign of contact with the people in which the government will be asked to resolve the masses’ issues. We will build confidence among the masses that only honest leadership can give them relief.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2014.