The Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday formally responded to ISPR’s statement and clarified its position over party chief Syed Munawar Hassan’s controversial remarks, saying that Pakistan army is not entitled to directly involve in political affairs.
Speaking to media representatives after a meeting of the party’s Majlis-i-Shura (Supreme Council), General Secretary of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Liaqat Baloch said his party has rendered sacrifices to safeguard ideological as well as geographical boundaries of the country and has always acknowledged Pak Army’s sacrifices.
On Sunday, JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan’s recent controversial statements of giving the certificate of martyrdom to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud and deriding military personnel who have rendered sacrifices in the war against terrorists, drew strong ire of the army which asked the JI chief to tender an unconditional apology.
Liaqat Baloch said that Pakistan Army should not get involved in political affairs directly, adding that ISPR’s statement, in which the army asked Syed Munawar Hassan to apologize to the nation, is a political statement which the military should have avoided.
“The nation is being involved in unnecessary debates,” said Liaqat Baloch who did not respond to reporters’ questions in his brief chat with the media.
The JI leader said his party leadership reviewed in the meeting the situation arising out of Syed Munawar Hassan’s statement.
In his remarks he issued in a TV talkshow last week, the JI chief had declared the killing of ruthless Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud in missile strike as ‘martyrdom’, stating that Pakistan army soldiers who have rendered sacrifices in the ongoing fight could not be called ‘martyrs’ for their cooperation with the US.
The statement drew strong ire of the army which asked him to tender unconditional apology. Various political parties, including the PPP, ANP and ANP, condemned the JI’s remarks urging him to take his words back.
ISPR in a statement condemned the remarks as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘misleading’, saying that declaring the dead terrorists as shaheeds is insult of the shahadat of thousands of innocent Pakistanis and soldiers of Pakistan's armed forces.
During the Majlis-i-Shura meeting, Baloch said the country would have to get out of the drone war in order to establish sustainable peace.
He further said that martyrdom was a dignified rank which could only be conferred by “none other than Allah”.