Anti-corruption campaign: JI train announces march from May 23

Convoy will start in Karachi and end in Peshawar with a protest

ISLAMABAD: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) unveiled plans for a train-march from Karachi to Peshawar later this month as part of its anti-corruption campaign.

“We have expanded our anti-corruption campaign and [have] decided to start [a] train-march from May 23,” announced JI Ameer Sirajul Haq after a party meeting in Islamabad. Earlier in March, the party had started its anti-corruption campaign. The JI Ameer is of the view that corruption is the root cause for many ills in the country which should be eliminated. He believes that if corruption is eliminated, around 40 per cent of the country’s debt can be managed.

Accompanied by JI Central Deputy Ameer Asadullah Bhutto, Secretary General Liaquat Baloch, Deputy Ameer Mian Aslam, Haq said that their convoy will depart from Karachi on May 23 and it will culminate in Peshawar after making its way through the length of the country.

Once they reach Peshawar, they will stage a protest.

He added that two public gatherings in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will precede the march. These gatherings will be held in Bajaur Agency, Kohat on May 14, 15 respectively.

While the party has not identified a date for when its train-march will culminate, it has listed a public gathering in Chitral for May 29, and it is expected that their march may end before then.

Haq said that after the train-march concludes, their campaign will be expanded to different parts of the country

The JI ameer explained that basic objective of the train-march is to spread awareness among the public against corruption. He, however, clarified that their movement is not political event insisting that everyone is accountable in the country especially after the Panama Leaks.

“Pakistan and corruption cannot grow together, therefore, we have to save Pakistan and eliminate corruption,” he said, insisting that the government draft terms of reference (ToRs) for the Panama Leaks probe in consultation with the opposition parties.

Last month, the Panama Papers, a trove of 11.5 million documents leaked from the archives of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, revealed how some of the wealthy and powerful people around the globe, including three of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s three children along with over 200 Pakistanis, had secreted their wealth in offshore companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.