Promoting ties: ‘Religious parties must work together’

JUI-F congratulates Sirajul Haq on becoming JI ameer.

LAHORE:

A delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) called on the newly elected chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Sirajul Haq, at Mansoora on Monday to congratulate him on assuming the office.

The delegation included Hafiz Husain Ahmed and Maulana Amjad Khan among others.

JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch, Hafiz Muhammad Idrees, Mian Muhammad Aslam and Rashid Naseem were also present. They discussed global issues and national politics with special reference to religious parties.

Later, addressing a joint press conference, Sirajul Haq said religious parties in Pakistan could not be ignored. He said Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and its ultimate goal should be to work towards an Islamic system. He said religious parties wanted the country to advance its founding ideology.

“The Constitution is Islamic in spirit and offers solutions to all problems the country and its people face today,” he said. Those who were disloyal to the Constitution and the ideology of Pakistan were not faithful to the country, he said. “If the Election Commission of Pakistan had properly enforced Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution [qualifications for membership of Parliament] during the elections, the situation would have been very different today.”

Responding to a question about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit to India, Sirajul Haq said the prime minister should represent the nation in its true spirit and take up issues of Kashmir and river waters...he should also meet the Hurriyat Conference leadership there.

Earlier, Maulana Fazlur Rahman said the purpose of his visit was to promote ties within religious parties as it was the need of the hour. He said western agenda was being promoted in the country and an alien culture, vulgarity and obscenity were being advanced at the cost of Islamic traditions and values. He said Islam had a message of friendship for the entire humanity. He said his visit did not aim towards the formation of an alliance or the revival of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. Instead, it was to strengthen ties within parties, he said.

He said the prime minister’s visit to India was a formal, goodwill visit and no serious talks should be expected on this occasion. However, he said, “we should expect good from the new leadership in India and do away with our misgivings”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2014.