Sirajul Haq to continue holding JI's reins as consultative body rejects resignation

• Spokesperson says council unanimously rejects resignation.
• He says JI demands chief election commissioner to step down.
• JI chief to continue performing his duties, says Qaiser Sharif.

LAHORE: The central consultative council of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Saturday unanimously dismissed the resignation tendered by party Emir Sirajul Haq as its head. 

JI spokesperson Qaiser Sharif said the council rejected the resignation and expressed “full confidence” in Siraj. The JI chief would continue performing his duties as per the party constitution, he said.

Qaiser said Siraj would shortly address the central consultative council’s meeting and hold a press conference later in the day.

He said the JI failed to yield better results in the elections not because of Siraj but due to rigging, adding that the party rejected the February 8 poll results and demanded the chief election commissioner step down immediately. 

After facing setbacks in the February 8 general elections as the JI failed to show any electoral progress, Siraj announced to step down from the party office on February 12.

The chief of the politico-religious party had tendered his resignation citing “failures to get the targeted electoral results”.

The Siraj-led party has failed to win a single National Assembly seat, however, it grabbed five provincial seats.