Accountability of corrupt leaders vital: Siraj

LAHORE:

“Billions of rupees has been set aside by the government to resolve the poor security and law and order situation, but most this money is actually being spent on the protection of a handful of the elite while the common man has no protection from the violence unleashed by the powerful elite,” Jamaat-i-Islami Chief Sirajul Haq said on Sunday.

He was addressing a JI workshop at Mansoora. Siraj said rulers of the country did not think they could be held accountable by the people.

“Corruption and bad governance has ruined the state institutions. Pakistan remains a slave to colonial forces. CIA operatives like Raymond Davis, a killer of two Pakistani citizens, walk free and our law enforcement agencies are helpless [before him],” he said. He said the rulers were letting the United States dictate the national agenda while issues important to the citizens were ignored on parliamentary forums. He said fuel prices had fallen across the world but Pakistanis had been denied the relief. He said petrol and diesel prices should be lowered by a further Rs15 per litre. He said families which had made immense sacrifices for the creation of the country continued to live a life of misery, while some elite families were enjoying all kinds of luxuries.

“To end corruption, there should be ruthless accountability of mafias working for their interests,” he said.

He said both civil and military rulers had promised prosperity to the people but their lives had not improved.

He said the only way out of the situation was to recover public wealth in foreign banks and utilise the amount on public welfare.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th,  2016.