- JI chief warns of deepening political crisis if resignations accepted
- Advises PTI, PAT protestors to return home
- Speaker hopes govt, protesting parties resolve the issue before NA session starts
Jamat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Sirajul Haq said Sunday that the resignations submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party members in the National Assembly should not be accepted, or else the current political crisis will worsen.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Haq said, “There is still room for talks.”
Opposing the idea of the acceptance of PTI-backed lawmakers’ resignations, Haq said political crisis would deepen in case the resignations were accepted.
He said that the acceptance of resignations would create a political crisis in the country and the government would have to hold elections within 60 days.
Speaking on the occasion, the NA speaker said he hoped he would not have to accept resignation papers of PTI-backed lawmakers on Monday and that the protesting parties and government would resolve their issues before that.
Sadiq said he would do whatever he could for the Constitution and democracy.
He said NA Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah has asked him to avoid haste in the acceptance of resignations by PTI members.
He said that established rules would be pursued in the verification of the resignations.
HAQ BACKS TALKS:
Appreciating the efforts of the protesting parties and the government to try to resolve the standoff through dialogue, the JI chief said that as they all claim to follow law, Constitution and democracy, there was a need to focus on ground realities to find a peaceful way to end the crisis.
He advised that the future, and not the past, should be kept in mind during the talks.
“Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is willing to go anywhere to meet anybody in the larger interest of the country and the masses,” Haq said.
He said he was moved by the fact that despite the large crowds gathered in the Red Zone, there was no damage to property and human life.
Haq did however criticise the ongoing crisis, saying that the protests had led to an economic crisis and disrupted routine life.
To a question, Haq said no one from PTI or PAT had announced revolt against the government or the state but advised the participants of the ‘Azadi’ and ‘Inqilab’ marches to return home peacefully.
Haq opined that international forces want to weaken Pakistan politically.
PTI and PAT have staged sit-ins in Islamabad’s Red Zone area since August 14, alleging rigging in the May 2013 General Elections and demanding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif step down.