Amir Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq while urging the federal government to increase financial assistance for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to Rs 50,000 per family during the month of Ramazan from current Rs 40,000. He has warned that anti-Pakistan elements could use thousands of IDPs who have crossed into Afghanistan after the launch of military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Siraj said that before the launch of the military operation in North Waziristan Agency the government did not take any major political party into confidence and in a democratic society such practice should not be allowed. JI believes in democracy and is committed to work for strengthening the democratic institutions in Pakistan, but it is point to ponder that the Prime Minister did not take the nation into confidence over the failure of peace talks and launch of military operation against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
"If the premier took the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government into confidence, then better arrangements would have been made for the internally displaced persons (IDPs)," JI Amir said. He also asked the federal government to take practical steps for the rehabilitation of IDPs, adding that so far the government has not made proper arrangements in the IDP camps.
While criticising the provincial governments over not allowing IDPs to enter their provinces, he said that there should not be any curb on the movement of the IDPs. He suggested the government to formulating task forces of parliamentarians to look after the IDPs of North Waziristan. He asserted that the immigrants of NWA have exceeded 750,000 and those who had migrated to Afghanistan could be an easy target for anti-state forces.
JI chief urged the prime minister and all political parties to visit the IDPs frequently. Replying to question over the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman's recent statement of dissolving KP provincial assembly, Haq said that even PTI Members of Provincial Assembly did not agree with their chief's stance. Replying to another question Amir JI said that the PTI chief did not consult JI for August 14 long March, adding that the country was passing through a critical phase, therefore long marches like events should be avoided.