JI’s caravan: JI chief hits out at groups espousing US agenda

Says time for seat adjustment with other groups is over.

KARACHI:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Syed Munawar Hasan took a swipe at his political counterparts in major groupings on Sunday, accusing them of pursuing an American agenda in the region and dashing public hopes for autonomy and change.

“One does not need a telescope or a microscope to figure out how major political parties in their pursuit of power sharing are not willing to throw off the shackles,” he said.

Munawar Hasan was speaking to hundreds of Shabab-e-Milli supporters at Numaish Chowrangi as they were about to launch their Karachi-to-Peshawar road caravan showcasing JI’s nationwide election campaign.

In preparation of the caravan, Shabab from JI’s youth wing had prepared a motorised float with a gigantic weighing scale attached. The scale is the JI’s election symbol for the upcoming election.

Munawar Hasan said that party tickets were being awarded to candidates who were content with a life of slavery.

“I’m convinced and this conviction came as no surprise that the election will only be an achievement if the people of this country will move towards a revolution by rejecting the policies orchestrated by the United States, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,” he added.



In this context, he said, Shabab’s caravan was a timely reminder of how youth can take the message of change through each and every town.

In a reply to a question, Hasan said that the chapter of seat-to-seat adjustment was now closed due to the conduct of other political parties. He made it clear though that the JI was not to be blamed “as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were responsible for the deadlock in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa”, while “the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) closed the chapter in Punjab”.

His party will now contest the elections individually in Kyber-Pakhutunkwa and Punjab and not in partnership with other political groupings.

“Since the time for seat adjustment is over, we will contest the polls alone in K-P and Punjab,” Hasan said. He described the 10-party alliance in Sindh as a refreshing change and said the poll race was more of a contest between the symbols of status quo versus the parties keen to deliver change.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2013.