LAHORE: Chief Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq has declared the three-year performance of the government as story of complete failure in every field.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Saturday, he said the country was going backward because of the bad governance of the ruling party. Trade deficit, artificial growth rate, inflation, unemployment and rising foreign debt were the gifts of the government to the people, he said, adding the prices of food items, medicines, petrol and electricity witnessed a sharp rise in past couple of years as the government failed to fix the problems.

Sirajul Haq criticized the government for proposing Media Development Authority, termed the intention media marshal law and warned the rulers against consequences. He said free press was a main pillar of a state and democratic society, assuring full support to the journalist community struggle for independent media. He expressed concern over the rising incidents of attack, torture and kidnapping of the journalists, demanding the authorities provide full protection to the working community.

The JI chief also expressed severe reservations over the proposed law of the forces conversion of religion, asking government to mend its way to damage the Islamic identity of the country. He said the JI was against the forced conversion but putting curb on non-Muslims to come to the fold of Islam in the name of age limit was even against the basic human rights. Every non-Muslim, he said, had the right to embrace Islam, which was religion of nature.

To a question, Sirajul Haq expressed surprise and regret over the decision of New Zealand cricket board and government to call back the team over so-called security threats. He said the decision was insult to Pakistani nation, it had political roots and India could be behind it.

To another question, he said the foreign countries should avoid issuing guidance and making suggestions on kind of government in Afghanistan as it was purely an internal matter of the country. It was prerogative to the Afghan people, he added.

Sirajul Haq appealed to the people to reject the status quo parties and vote for the JI in the election to transform Pakistan into a welfare state.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021