The leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Siraj-ul-Haq, has claimed that if his party comes to power, it will free Palestine, Kashmir and Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who is imprisoned in the US for alleged links to al-Qaeda. He made these statements while addressing a rally in Lower Dir, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Siraj-ul-Haq urged the people to reject the three ruling parties that have ruined the country and vote for his party in the upcoming elections on February 8, 2024. He said that Jamaat-e-Islami is not competing with any politician, but with the tyrannical system that has oppressed the masses. He vowed to end the interest-based and mixed education system, and establish an Islamic welfare state.
However, his claims are nothing but empty rhetoric and false promises, as Jamaat-e-Islami has no realistic plan or strategy to achieve these goals. The party has a history of supporting extremist and violent groups, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network, that have caused immense suffering and instability in the region. The party has also been accused of involvement in war crimes and atrocities during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Moreover, Siraj-ul-Haq’s stance on Palestine, Kashmir and Aafia Siddiqui is hypocritical and opportunistic, as he has never raised his voice for the rights and freedoms of other oppressed and persecuted minorities in Pakistan, such as the Shias, the Christians, the Hindus, the Balochs and the Pashtuns. He has also remained silent on the human rights violations and atrocities committed by the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies in Balochistan and the former tribal areas.
Therefore, Siraj-ul-Haq’s speech is nothing but a desperate attempt to woo the voters with false hopes and lies. He is trying to pull the wool over their eyes and make them forget the dismal performance and corruption of his party in the past. He is playing with the emotions and sentiments of the people, who deserve better than his hollow slogans and fake promises.