Flexible posture: Softening Jamaat stance may affect ties with PTI
Party leaders believe JI is trying to gain political mileage by not going all-out against the PM
The PTI legal team’s head, Hamid Khan, revealed to The Express Tribune that he has summoned a special meeting to consider the option of filing a constitutional plea seeking the premier’s disqualification in view of the revelations in the Panama Papers. PHOTO: ICIJ
ISLAMABAD:
A softening in Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) stance against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the ongoing Panama Papers case may affect its relationship with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a coalition partner in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Since the start of fresh proceedings in the Panamagate case, the JI has been insisting it wants ‘accountability for all’, instead of solely targeting the prime minister.
This development has not gone down well with some top PTI leaders who expected their major coalition ally in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would review its stance once the case began anew in the Supreme Court, party sources said on good authority.
Publicly, PTI leaders have so far avoided criticising JI’s policy, but are vocal about venting their dismay privately.
PTI leaders believe the JI was trying to eke out political mileage by not going all-out against the PM and his family in the Panama leaks case.
Religious parties are also eyeing lucrative posts of the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) and the vacancy in the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee that was created after the expulsion of Mufti Abdul Qavi. JI, sources said, was also vying for other concessions from the ministry of religious affairs.
“Their mild attitude (towards the PM) is motivated,” commented a federal lawmaker of the PTI who also enjoys a close association with party’s chief Imran Khan.
PTI and JI leaders from K-P held meetings before the Panamagate case resumed in the Supreme Court and the JI conveyed to its ally that it would support PTI in its drive against the prime minister.
“We were shocked to see that they (JI) have not budged an inch from their stance on the Panamagate scandal. We expected a (complete) shift in policy – for better. This does not seem to be happening.”
However, another senior PTI member rejected assigning any significance to JI’s stance. “I think unnecessary hype is being attached with this issue. The PTI and JI struck an agreement on clearly defined terms. Both are coalition partners in the K-P. The complaint of some of our colleagues about lack of compliance by the JI makes no sense,” he said.
“We mounted a solo flight in our struggle against the prime minister ... From our public rallies and processions to the November 2 sit-in, JI was nowhere on the scene with us. This is because our political priorities outside the K-P do not necessarily coincide.”
A JI leader, requesting anonymity, said his party’s political intentions were never invisible from the PTI leadership and they (PTI leaders were) always skeptical in this regard.
“On any given issue, we follow our (own) policy line and stick to it. If this does not coincide with their (PTI’s) policy, they end up suspecting us of striking some kind of backdoor deal with the PML-N. The reality is different altogether. PTI, and not JI, have taken U-turns on several political issues. We have stood firm. Problem lies with them (PTI).”
JI chief Sirajul Haq defended his party’s position on Panamagate, without criticising PTI.
“Since day one, we have taken a principled position that accountability should be for everyone. The PM is not the only person accused in Panamagate scam. Everyone else must be taken to task. And when we say all of them, it obviously covers the PM. There is nothing wrong with our stance. I do not know who expected us to change our principled stance on Panamagate (issue) and why?”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2017.
A softening in Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) stance against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the ongoing Panama Papers case may affect its relationship with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a coalition partner in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
Since the start of fresh proceedings in the Panamagate case, the JI has been insisting it wants ‘accountability for all’, instead of solely targeting the prime minister.
This development has not gone down well with some top PTI leaders who expected their major coalition ally in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would review its stance once the case began anew in the Supreme Court, party sources said on good authority.
Publicly, PTI leaders have so far avoided criticising JI’s policy, but are vocal about venting their dismay privately.
PTI leaders believe the JI was trying to eke out political mileage by not going all-out against the PM and his family in the Panama leaks case.
Religious parties are also eyeing lucrative posts of the chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) and the vacancy in the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee that was created after the expulsion of Mufti Abdul Qavi. JI, sources said, was also vying for other concessions from the ministry of religious affairs.
“Their mild attitude (towards the PM) is motivated,” commented a federal lawmaker of the PTI who also enjoys a close association with party’s chief Imran Khan.
PTI and JI leaders from K-P held meetings before the Panamagate case resumed in the Supreme Court and the JI conveyed to its ally that it would support PTI in its drive against the prime minister.
“We were shocked to see that they (JI) have not budged an inch from their stance on the Panamagate scandal. We expected a (complete) shift in policy – for better. This does not seem to be happening.”
However, another senior PTI member rejected assigning any significance to JI’s stance. “I think unnecessary hype is being attached with this issue. The PTI and JI struck an agreement on clearly defined terms. Both are coalition partners in the K-P. The complaint of some of our colleagues about lack of compliance by the JI makes no sense,” he said.
“We mounted a solo flight in our struggle against the prime minister ... From our public rallies and processions to the November 2 sit-in, JI was nowhere on the scene with us. This is because our political priorities outside the K-P do not necessarily coincide.”
A JI leader, requesting anonymity, said his party’s political intentions were never invisible from the PTI leadership and they (PTI leaders were) always skeptical in this regard.
“On any given issue, we follow our (own) policy line and stick to it. If this does not coincide with their (PTI’s) policy, they end up suspecting us of striking some kind of backdoor deal with the PML-N. The reality is different altogether. PTI, and not JI, have taken U-turns on several political issues. We have stood firm. Problem lies with them (PTI).”
JI chief Sirajul Haq defended his party’s position on Panamagate, without criticising PTI.
“Since day one, we have taken a principled position that accountability should be for everyone. The PM is not the only person accused in Panamagate scam. Everyone else must be taken to task. And when we say all of them, it obviously covers the PM. There is nothing wrong with our stance. I do not know who expected us to change our principled stance on Panamagate (issue) and why?”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2017.