Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Amir Syed Munawar Hassan has said that Balochistan was subjected to injustice and now people should vote honest leaders into power.Addressing a press conference in Quetta on Monday accompanied by other party leaders, Munawar welcomed BNP-Mengal President Sardar Akthar Mengal’s decision of contesting elections, saying that issues Balochistan should be resolved through elected representatives. “

We have suggested to Sardar Akthar Mengal to call an all parties conference so that the lingering issues could be discussed.”He appealed to the interim government, army, judiciary and political parties to create conducive atmosphere for holding elections. “Recovery of missing persons should be ensured, incidents of kidnapping for ransom and target killing should be stopped,” he added.The JI leader said that the government should assure security for masses so that they would fearlessly come out to cast their vote. He said that merely deploying army on sensitive polling stations was an effort to distant people from the elections, adding that it would be better if the responsible should not issue irresponsible statements.

Munawar said that besides the election commission, media, judiciary, political parties and their workers should also work for ensuring transparent and fair elections. He said that the US had announced to leave Afghanistan in 2014 but declared that 40 thousand of its troops would stay in Afghanistan. “America wants those people into power in Pakistan who could protect its interest in the region.”Referring to Pak-Iran gas pipeline project and transfer of Gwadar Project to China, he said that there were some reservations over these agreements but Pakistan should not take dictation from anyone and record its protest against American interference. “

Pakistan is facing a serious energy crisis and making such deals with other countries is Pakistan’s internal issue,” he added.The JI chief regretted that Supreme Court’s orders regarding demarcation of constituencies were not completely implemented and only 3 national and 8 provincial assemblies’ constituencies were realigned. “The non-implementation benefited the MQM.”To a question, he said that JI had not made electoral alliance with any party but talks were underway with the PML-N, JUI-F, PTI and other parties.