Siraj steps down as JI Amir; Jahangir Tareen quits politics

F.P. Report

KARACHI: Siraj-ul-Haq stepped down as Jamaat-e-Islami Amir on Monday following the defeat and worst performance of JI in the Elections 2024. JI secured no seats in the National Assembly and got only two seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly.

In 2014, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s senior minister and leader of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq, was elected as the new ameer of the party. Sirajul Haq replaced the then-outgoing chief Syed Munawar Hassan. The elections were at JI Headquarters Mansoora. Out of 31,311 office-bearers of the party, 25,533 people voted which Sirajul Haq managed to secure a majority of votes in 2014.

Siraj ul Haq remained party chief for a tenure of five years and he was re-elected in 2019. Now after serving the JI for 10 years, Siraj ul Haq resigned from his post.

Meanwhile, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party Patron-in-Chief Jahangir Khan Tareen has decided to quit politics and also step down from the party office.

Tareen announced his decision in a post on X while thanking everyone for their support during the recent election and felicitating his opponents. “I have immense respect for the will of the people of Pakistan. Therefore, I have decided to resign from my position as Chairman IPP and step away from politics altogether,” Tareen posted.

He expressed his gratitude to all the members of the party and wished them the best, I will continue to serve my country to the best of my ability in a private capacity,” the post added further. The IPP leader had contested the recent general election from NA-149 Multan, where he was defeated by independent candidate Amir Dogar, as well as NA-155 Lodhran, where he lost to PML-N candidate Siddique Khan Baloch.

Reacting to this announcement, IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan expressed sadness, saying Tareen will always be the patron-in-chief for the IPP and all of them. He further said that Tareen’s presence in any government was an honour for that government. “As a younger brother and IPP president, I pay tribute to him and his philanthropic activities. May them with health, safety and success. Amen,” he added in a post on X.

Aleem Khan had emerged victorious in both NA-117 and Lahore’s provincial assembly constituency PP-149, securing a significant mandate from the electorate. According to the official tally, in NA-117, Aleem Khan secured a resounding victory with 72,519 votes, establishing a clear lead over his competitor, Ali Ejaz Buttar, who garnered 31,586 votes.