JI stages nationwide protests against POL, gas price hikes
05 March, 2012
LAHORE: The Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday held nationwide protests and demonstrations against the rise in POL, gas and electricity prices.
The protest rallies and meetings were held in all major metropolises of the country, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Khanewal and Bahawalpur.
Addressing the rallies, senior JI leaders condemned the staggering hike in POL prices, saying the general public had been completely crushed under the weight of these increased tariffs. Leaders also condemned the fact that the country's rulers led luxurious lives, while the masses were struggling to make ends meet.
Addressing a large public meeting in Khanewal, JI ameer Syed Munawar Hasan said the rulers and so-called opposition had joined hands to protect the seats of their 28 members, and had doled out Rs360 million for this very purpose. President Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif were two sides to the same coin, he alleged, and were simply protecting each other's interests and were least pushed about the plight of the common man.
The JI leader emphatically condemned the so-called opposition for not raising its voice against the price hike that had been instigated on the dictation of international bodies such as the IMF and the World Bank. Foreign donors were bent upon ruining Pakistan's economy to satisfy their evil designs, he added.
JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Farid Piracha and JI Punjab chief Dr Waseem Akhtar also spoke on the occasion. In Lahore, a rally was held outside the Lahore Press Club. In his address, JI Lahore chief Amirul Azeem claimed that many poor citizens were taking their own lives as a result of frequent price hikes. He also said that the common man was unable to comprehend why gas prices were being raised considering that gas was a domestic product.
Addressing the Peshawar rally, JI provincial chief Professor Ibrahim Khan alleged that the rulers would find the hands of the poor masses on their throats if they did not control the upward rush of prices. In Bahawalpur, JI Punjab chief Syed Waseem Akhtar led a large rally of women.
Our correspondent adds from Khanewal: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hasan claimed on Sunday that the PPP-led government had failed to deliver, and was simply following a US-sponsored agenda.
Addressing a public rally, the Ameer accused the country's rulers of taking loans and aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank for their own personal welfare. The JI leader added that he expected general elections to be held in September or October due to the current political situation in the country, and alleged that the Jamaat-e-Islami was the only political party that could bring about a proper Islamic revolution.
On the issue of Balochistan, Munawar Hasan said that the federal government was cheating the people of the province by depriving them of their rights. He said, "We demand that the CJ solve the issue of missing persons of Balochistan and other provinces."
Speaking on the occasion, JI Deputy Secretary General Dr Fareed Ahmad Piracha denied the allegation that the party had received funding from the ISI. JI Punjab chief Dr Syed Wasim Akhtar, in his address, said that the volume of the country's loans had increased from $35 billion to $72 billion due to the flawed policies of the government.
A large number of people including women from Khanewal, Jahanian, Mian Channu, Vehari, Kabirwala and surrounding areas attended the public meeting. Earlier, JI local office-bearers and workers gave a warm welcome to party leader Syed Munawar Hassan and his companions on their arrival at Niazi Chowk.
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