Taking a stringent and extreme action against the party dissidents adamant on contesting the coming elections in violation of the party decision of boycott, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) expelled all the four dissenters including two former MPAs from the party besides pondering over a suggestion to contact the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for preventing them of using party flag and name in their election campaign.
Former JI MPAs, Fareed Khan from PF-93 Upper Dir-II, and Hayat Khan from PF-93 Upper Dir-III along with two other party members, Sahibzada Sibghatullah and Rafiullah decided against the party decision of poll boycott and announced to contest elections at any cost. Led by Fareed Khan, they formed a panel for a National and all provincial assembly seats that caused ripples in the ostensibly disciplined JI. This decision also created a rift in the party. “The decision of Fareed and his panel to contest elections in contradiction of party decision is an insult of JI, its Shura and Amir,” Sirajul Haq, the party provincial chief said a week ago while addressing a gathering in Dir. The group fielded Sahibzada Sibghatullah, a member of an influential family, on NA-33 Upper Dir, Fareed Khan on PF-92 Upper Dir-II, Rafiullah on PF-91 and Hayat Khan on PF-93 Upper Dir-III.
The party twice extended deadline to the dissidents in a bid to bring them back to the party fold, but it miserably failed as the contestants were unwavering in their resolve to take part in elections. They had been arguing that the boycott was not in favour of party, at least local level. The party workers, they say, would follow other parties in the district and thus JI would lose support in the coming years. The dissidents also fear the opposite parties, mainly PPPP, would victimise their workers in a political set-up where there party would have no representation. They also insist the party workers had forced them to stand in the elections keeping in view “the ground reality.”
Finally, the Shura of JI Upper Dir called a meeting at the JI office to settle the issue in order to remove the confusion from the minds of workers to vote or not. The 16-member Shura after long deliberation found the four JI workers including two former MPAs guilty by violating party constitution and central Shura decision and decided to suspend their memberships. District amir of the party, Maulana Asadullah, announced the decision. Naib district amir and former provincial health minister, Inayatullah, Bahram Khan, general secretary Makhzanuddin, zonal amir Sahibzada Fasihullah and other key leaders were also present on the occasion.
The decision of the local Shura was also endorsed by a body of the party consisted of 250 Arkan. The local chapter also recommended to the central leadership of the party to terminate their membership. “We at the local level have only the power to suspend their membership. The power to terminate their membership rests with the central leadership of the party,” a party leader informed.
Moreover, the party had chalked a comprehensive strategy to make the boycott decision a success in the district and had deputed its provincial naib amir, Mirajuddin, to PF-91, former provincial minister Shahraz Khan to PF-93 and Fazl Rabbani, also a former minister, to PF-93 to convince workers on sticking to boycott. They would remain in the district till December 28. Munawar Hassan, the party central general secretary, is also scheduled to visit the district on December 29 to give impetus to boycott campaign. He, according to party sources, would address a party convention in Dir and would persuade people to stay away from the electoral process.
The party is also planning to distribute boycott posters, stickers and handbills in a large number and also display banners at prominent places to convey the message to its workers that JI is boycotting the forthcoming elections. In fact, the party is leaving no stone unturned to defeat the renegades, who are causing a bad name to the party. It was also learnt that the party is mulling over a suggestion to contact the ECP for stopping the “independent” candidates to use JI flag and its name in the elections. If the party does so, there is every possibility that the ECP disqualify Fareed and company for violating Code of Conduct.
The party local leaders informed that a three member committee would be formed to investigate whether party Arkan were taking part in election campaign of the dissident group. If Arkan, they added, were found involved in electioneering or pasting and distribution of posters, stickers and banners, a strict punitive action would be taken against them. Besides, JI would establish boycott camps outside polling stations on Election Day to monitor which party Rukan or worker uses his vote.
The party sources also informed that party chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad was also expected to visit the district provided clear whether in order to organise the party and make the boycott a success.
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