JUI-S to go it alone in polls

PTI and JUI-S had previously agreed to form an alliance for polls

PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) announced on Sunday it will contest the general election on its own after failing to strike an alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and settle issues with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).

“We cannot forge an alliance with political forces which remained in government or political parties with secular agendas, or elements involved in corruption, deviating from the constitution or those who hindered the implementation of Islamic system (of jurisprudence) in the country,” said the JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq in a statement.

However, he allowed leaders of his party to make seat adjustments in their respective constituencies “in accordance with the party objectives and manifesto”.

The declaration was made after a meeting of the political committee of the JUI-S that was presided over by Maulana Samiul Haq at Akora Khattak in Nowshera.

Participants of the meeting held in-depth discussions on the possibility of forging alliances with various political parties after which the party chief announced the party’s policy for the upcoming general election.

Maulana Sami directed his party activists to kick off their election campaigns in line with the party’s manifesto.

“Leaders of the JUI-S placed their 17-point agenda before the PTI and MMA, including an end to America’s interference in Pakistan, establishing a government on the pattern of Rashidun Caliphate and implementing the Islamic Shariah immediately in its entirety, but no political force had the courage to agree (with our agenda),” he said.

The JUI-S, he said, would not resort to political hypocrisy by deceiving the people with ambiguous slogans.

“Our manifesto does not allow us to keep the public in the dark with attractive (but hollow) slogans, therefore, JUI-S activists should start their election campaigns and stop waiting for striking political alliances,” he said.



JUI-S, he said, was competing with politicians who had proved themselves to be “agents of world powers in the past” and will continue to fight against such elements in the future too.

Elaborating his party’s 17-point agenda, Maulana Samiul Haq said that establishing an Islamic welfare state on the pattern of Rashidun Caliphate was the cornerstone of the party’s ideology in line with the ideology of Allama Iqbal and the Quaid-i-Azam.

It also espoused education, justice, health and employment opportunities for all in addition to reforming the country’s judicial, economic and political systems.

Other points included in JUI-S agenda are: giving rights to minorities as defined in the Islamic justice system and freeing Pakistan from the interference and influence of imperialist forces.

Supporting all oppressed Muslims across the world and protecting the rights of peasants and labourers.

“The manifesto of the JUI-S is better than all other domestic political parties … It calls for bringing real change,” he said.

In November last year, PTI and JUI-S had agreed to form an alliance for the general election while MMA representatives also tried to persuade Sami to join them.

Subsequently, the JUI-S and PTI officially announced the electoral alliance for the general election while Sami also announced that the Defense of Pakistan Council would also be included in the alliance.

However, the hopes for the potential electoral alliance faded after the senate elections when PTI failed to get Maulana Sami elected as a senator from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.