The central Shura of the Jamaat-i-Islami has expressed grave concern over the deteriorating economic conditions in the country, political instability and the worsening law and order. A resolution adopted by the Shura at its meeting chaired by the JI chief, Senator Sirajul Haq, said that contrary to the government claims, the economy of the country was on the decline.
It is noted that during the last six years, the quantum of internal and foreign loans of the country has risen from Rs 6700 billion to Rs 18900 billion causing high inflation. It is noted that the tax receipt target had not been realised. "Because of the wrong policies of the govt, the country's agricultural economy and the farming community had suffered badly. In some cases, the growers had not covered even the cost of their crops of sugar cane, cotton, paddy, wheat and potato. The paddy growers had not been paid subsidy of Rs 5000 despite the govt announcement. Unemployment is on the rise and even the literate blind are protesting on roads, the resolution added.
The Shura called upon the govt to present the details of the recent agreements made with China so as to ensure transparency. The details about the timing of the beginning and completion of different projects, their usefulness and actual cost, should be placed before the parliament and the relevant committees of the National Assembly and the Senate. It said that such measures are also essential because corruption has gone deep into the state machinery.
Welcoming the setting up of the Judicial Commission to probe into rigging, the Shura said that this decision at a much earlier stage should have been much more useful. The JI central consultative body however stressed that electoral reforms were the need of the hour. It said that the prevailing electoral system only strengthened the hereditary and feudal politics and helped the corrupt mafias to return to the assemblies. The Shura said it is time that drastic changes should be made in the electoral system to control organized rigging and bogus voting.
In this regard, the JI Shura urged the Election Commission to start the updating of the electoral rolls in January every year as laid down in the constitution and also undertake the process of weeding out bogus votes from the electoral lists under the supervision of the armed forces or the Rangers in the light of the Supreme Court decision.
The Shura felt that the implementation on the NAP against terrorism in the wake of the Peshawar Army Public School was negligible and the govt had failed to make any progress on most of the points of the NAP including the arrests of the culprits involved in the Peshawar tragedy. On the other hand, it said, the govt had spent most of its time in an uncalled-for campaign against the mosques and madrissahs, which was aimed at harassing the religious circles instead of wiping out terrorism.
The JI Shura renewed its commitment to stand by the masses especially against the problems of poverty, price hike, loadshedding, lawlessness, and terrorism. It said that the JI would organise the oppressed and downtrodden masses in line with its people's agenda for the enforcement of the Islamic system with the ultimate aim to establish a truly Islamic, welfare state.