JUI-F not in favour of extending PPA

Party says existing laws are more than adequate for the purpose

ISLAMABAD: A key ally of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to oppose extension in the Pakistan Protection Act (PPA), which expired on July 15.

The Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said its executive council had taken the decision during a meeting on Sunday. A party official explained that the meeting mainly focused on the domestic political situation.

However, the official said, the main issue on the meeting’s agenda was the proposed extension in PPA, which the JUI-F believes should not be extended.



The issue of extension in PPA will be taken up in the upcoming session of the Senate which is scheduled to be held on Monday (today).

The legislation was originally promulgated in July 2014.

The government has said it is necessary to extend the act. The prime minister has already formed a four-member committee to gain the opposition’s support so the legislation could be extended.

JUI-F’s information secretary Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told The Express Tribune that the party believes that the act would now be used against religious seminaries.

“We believe that since the law was promulgated, it has targeted religious circles and seminaries,” said Ahmed.

The JUI-F leader said that despite being a coalition partner, “we will continue to oppose the government wrongdoings”.

According to him, the JUI-F had even opposed the act when it was promulgated, adding that it did not solve any problems. “There is no need for any such law … existing laws are enough,” he said.

Ahmed said that the meeting also discussed the recent Indian aggression in occupied Kashmir.

He said that a meeting of the Special Committee on Kashmir Affairs had been convened on July 20, adding that the JUI-F would stage rallies all across the country to express solidarity with Kashmiris.

The committee on Defence of Pakistan Act comprised Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid, Adviser on Law and Justice Barrister Zafarullah Khan and PM’s Special Assistant Khawaja Zaheer.

Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said that the committee will hold meetings with the opposition and its allies.

“I believe this issue will be resolved as the premier is now back in the country,” adding that PML-N’s allies should not fret about it too much.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2016.