JI’s Proposed APC

Asem Mustafa Awan

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)  has decided to call an All-Party Conference (APC) after Eid al-Fitr. The conference is being called on a one-point agenda, in which the leaders of the participating parties will discuss holding general elections on the same day. According to reports, contacts have been initiated to invite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PTI chief Imran Khan to the conference.

Pervaiz Khattak, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mahmoodur Rashid will negotiate with Jamaat-e-Islami. It is being told that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is indicating that it will nominate Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq for negotiations.

Jamaat-e-Islami has been an ally of both Tehrik-e-Insaf and the Muslim League in separate eras. In the last few years, Jamaat-e-Islami has kept itself apart from the political alignment divided into two extremes. Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj-ul-Haq has shown a very positive attitude in the current conflict-oriented politics. He welcomed the leadership of the People’s Party in Mansurah and turned the divided politics on the basis of a left-right wing approach into a mutual dialogue.

Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, who survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad, was visited by Sirajul Haque, who inquired about his health.

Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami is generally considered a non-controversial figure due to his moderate and balanced approach, as Pakistan’s politics is losing tolerance with each passing day. His non-controversial figure and his party’s conciliatory role are appreciated, and there is a possibility that they could be acceptable to all depending on the situation. It is yet to be seen whether JI can handle this burden alone or needs additional help.

Imran Khan said several weeks ago that he is ready to negotiate with anyone. On the other hand, the Interior Minister is publicly saying that “no matter how hard you try, the elections will not be held on May 14.” He further said that the officer of the State Bank who will release 21 billion rupees to the Election Commission on the order of the Supreme Court will be asked to deposit the same amount in the national exchequer.

The highest court of the country has ordered elections in Punjab on May 14. The government is not ready to accept this order.

Even if negotiations start with this government position, a new theory will be needed. The constitution made it clear that elections would be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the assembly.

Will the constitution be sacrificed for political expediency? The state institutions that are subject to the government’s order will continue to violate the constitution.

If the Sindh, Balochistan and National Assembly elections are held on the same day, there is no harm in it. If the next assembly is elected, only it has the power to make constitutional amendments by holding elections within or after 90 days, and it cannot be changed by simple legislation.

Jamaat-e-Islami should consult senior jurists in this regard. In recent days, 50 senior lawyers have held a roundtable conference in Lahore. These senior jurists have agreed that the Punjab Assembly elections cannot be held beyond May 14, and if the government does so, it will be faced with a contempt of court case.

The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.