JI chief to contact parliamentary parties for ‘consensus on polls’

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq has announced to contact parliamentary parties for ‘consensus on general elections’ amid deepening political crisis in the country. In a statement, JI chief invited all political stakeholders to start negotiations from the platform of Mansoora – head office of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.

Sirajul Haq maintained that the elections in two provinces – Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) – will not solve the prevailing crises. He noted that elections across the country should be held on the same day. “The differences between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have created a constitutional crisis in the country”, he said, urging the political parties to work for positive developments.

“Institutions are becoming controversial”, Sirajul Haq said, adding that political issues will not be resolved in the courts. He further said that martial law, technocrat government or presidential system will not resolve the issues. Earlier this week, the coalition parties expressed “lack of confidence” in three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan hearing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the delay in polls of the Punjab Assembly.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the “overall political situation of the country”.

The coalition parties expressed lack of confidence in the Supreme Court bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.

The meeting was summoned after the Supreme Court rejected the ruling alliance’s plea for a full court bench in the polls delay case. The apex court itself witnessed high drama, with two judges recusing themselves from the remaining three-member bench. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail withdrew from the bench a day after Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan rescued himself from hearing the case. Earlier in March, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced to delay of the Punjab by-elections which were scheduled to be held on April 30.

The ECP withdrew the Punjab Election Program notification issued on March 8 and decided to postpone the Punjab election and announced October 08 as the new date for elections in Punjab. The ECP spokesman said that the president Dr Arif Alvi also been informed about the postponement of elections in Punjab, adding that the new election schedule will release soon. (NNI)