LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Sirajul Haq has expressed concern over the rising conflict and clash among the political forces, suggesting to them to come to the table and develop consensus on the national polls.

The fight among the political parties, Sirajul Haq said while presiding over a meeting of central leadership at Mansoorah on Tuesday, ultimately provided an opportunity for the third force to interfere in political matters. He announced the JI would launch the election manifesto on March 22 in Lahore.

Sirajul Haq said that dragging politics into courts would also not be the solution to the problems. It had been observed that the decisions made in the courts created further ambiguity rather than presenting any solution to the problems, he said. He regretted the judicial system acted like panchayats and jirgas, making decisions based on give-and-take basis.

The JI chief said the unity government of the PDM and the PPP failed to deliver in 11 months and it gifted the people with inflation, poverty and unemployment. He said if the former government of the PTI destroyed the country in four years, the incumbent one brought further instability. The rulers, he said, targeted the poor at the directions of the IMF, imposing billions of rupees taxes on the masses. Now, he added, the government increased the electricity tariff by Rs15 per unit without paying any heed to the problems of the common man. He said only the JI could bring stability and prosperity to the country.

He demanded the Election Commission complete local body polls in Karachi. He said the PPP’s provincial government should not interfere with results. He said the mayor of Karachi would be from the Jamaat-e-Islami, warning the Sindh government against stealing people’s mandate.

Sirajul Haq also demanded the release of Gwadar Rights Movement leader Maulana Hidayatur Rahman, asking the rulers to honour the agreement between the two sides.