Jamaat-e-Islami chief criticises squandering billions of rupees in recent election

LAHORE:  Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) chief Sirajul Haque claimed on Monday that Rs50 billion from the national treasury were squandered on the general election held on February 8.

He described the 2024 general election as “a continuation of the 2018 general election” and expressed scepticism about the ability of any resulting government to effectively govern.

Haque criticised what he claimed was “the dominance of self-serving individuals in Pakistani politics”, warning that a flawed political landscape would inevitably lead to a dysfunctional state.

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He warned against alleged election rigging, arguing that it would only worsen the existing fragile state of the country. He lamented that any hopes of economic and political stability for the inflation-hit country were now shattered.

Pakistan is already grappling with severe inflation and soaring prices, with inflation having risen by 34.25 per cent compared to past year alone.

The JI chief said that his party’s mandate “was usurped” and vowed to expose any “electoral fraud through constitutional and democratic means”.

Earlier, JI had announced plans to hold an all-party conference (APC) on February 25 in Islamabad, inviting political parties across the political spectrum to participate. The conference “aims to defend democracy and promote genuine democratic practices in Pakistan”.