LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq has said that the politicians have to show flexibility for the success of negotiations on election.

While addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Thursday, he said the Prime Minister had taken a vote of confidence from the parliament, but it would be better if the latter sought direct confidence of the masses through polls.

Haq said the Chief Justice himself put the ball in his court and the suo motu on election become controversial from the beginning, judges were divided and parliament rejected it, unfortunately.

Therefore, he added, he already requested the top judge let the politicians make decision on election matter. “If the period of 90 days to hold polls in case of dissolution of assembly had already gone beyond the constitutionally required time, then could it be further delayed if the stakeholders developed consensus on holding the national vote simultaneously,” he said, adding ultimately they would be the people of Pakistan who had to decide as neither the establishment or judiciary and nor the political parties had the final say.

“The legislature and the judiciary are still at odds with each other and everyone is giving their interpretation to the constitution while the people are suffering losses amid the prevailing crises.”

He said the JI was talking about negotiations as an election stakeholder and was sincerely trying to bring political parties together on one table in the interest of the people and the country. “We want a decision to be made by the nation. We do not want a rigged election like held in the past.”

The JI, he said, wanted the institutions should show complete impartiality and the people should freely choose a leadership that can make the country a clean and green Pakistan.

Sirajul Haq said that at present, caretaker governments are in place in two provinces, who instead of focusing on their real mandate which was preparation for election, were doing all other work.

“People are burning in the fire of inflation but the parliament is not paying attention on public issue.” The fight between the PDM and PTI, he said, had pushed the country into closed alley.

He said he made it clear upon the prime minister and the PTI chairman during the meetings with them that some other would ultimately take benefit if the politicians failed to develop consensus.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023