Nothing yet from govt on Quetta suicide bombing: Sirajul Haq

Says will form local govt in Karachi with PTI, distances from ‘violent protests’

QUETTA:

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq has said that the government has yet to update on whether an investigation has been opened on the recent suicide attack on him.

In a statement issued from Quetta on Sunday, the JI leader reminded that it is the responsibility of the incumbent government to investigate the attack on him and lay out the facts before the public. He expressed hope that the government will fulfill its responsibility.

Haq narrowly escaped a bomb attack on his convoy in Balochistan’s Zhob on May 19, 2023. Shortly after the blast, the law enforcement authorities declared the incident a suicide bombing and claimed that the attacker’s body was found at the site of the blast.

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While the JI leader managed to remain unscathed, at least four people were injured and his vehicle was partly damaged.

This was seconded by the party on its official Twitter account. The party informed that Haq was safe by the grace of God and was in Zhob to address a public meeting. It added that the alleged attacker died in the attack.

امیر جماعت اسلامی سراج الحق کے قافلے پر ژوب بلوچستان میں خود کش حملہ، حملہ آور مارا گیا۔
الحمدللہ سراج الحق محفوظ ہیں۔ جلسہ عام سے خطاب کے لیے ژوب میں موجود تھے

— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) May 19, 2023

Commenting on the prevailing political situation in the country, Haq informed that his party has joined hands with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Karachi wing and both parties intend on forming a joint local government in the metropolis.

JI Karachi chief Hafizur Rehman had earlier tweeted that the majority support to form local government in Karachi was with his party and the PTI.

“JI mayor, PTI deputy mayor,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which leads the provincial government in Sindh, was having PTI representatives arrested.

میئر جماعت اسلامی کا ، ڈپٹی میئر تحریک انصاف کا ، اکثریت مل گئی ۔۔۔ پیپلز پارٹی پی ٹی آئی کے نمائندے گرفتار کروا رہی ہے#HafizNaeem pic.twitter.com/EA6mGMONvT

— Jamaat e Islami Karachi (@KarachiJamaat) May 20, 2023

Local body by-polls were held in 24 districts of Sindh earlier this month and while the PPP claimed victory, both the PTI and JI have insisted that the elections were rigged and marred by irregularities. 

According to Radio Pakistan, the PPP emerged as the single largest party in the local body by-election. The ruling PPP won seven out of the 11 union committees (UC) in Karachi, while JI won four UCs.

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In his statement on Sunday, Haq further added that political parties have condemned incidents of violent protests witnessed on May 9. He maintained, “We are also not in support of politics expressed through rioting and vandalism.”

He added that it is the job of the government to bring such protestors to justice. However, Haq clarified, he is not in support of military trials. The government holds the authority to gather people for talks and negotiations, he added.

The JI leader further stated that the US has no right to interfere in Pakistan’s matter. “When people fight in their homes, neighbours do talk. But America has no right to interfere in Pakistan’s matters,” he said.