LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul Haq has announced a nationwide strike on September 02 (Saturday) against the inflated electricity bills, demanding the government take back the hike in power tariff or get ready to face the wrath of the masses.
While addressing ceremony commemorating JI’s 82nd foundation day in Ichra on Sunday, Haq said the strike and protest would be peaceful and appealed to the people to raise voice against injustice and actively participate in protests. He said the JI would organize protest in front of the offices of the Wapda if the government remained stick to its decision.
Haq said the prevailing inflation was a direct consequence of the flawed economic strategies propagated by former governments of the PDM, the PPP and the PTI. The former rulers, he said, entered into with the IMF, laying landmines for the masses. Tragically, he said, it was the underprivileged segments of society that continue to shoulder the burdens generated by the opulent lifestyles of the ruling elite, often at the expense of the nation’s resources.
He lamented that the certain families who were beneficiaries of the British Raj, persisted to rule over the country even after 75 years of independence. The military establishment, he said, always lent support to feudalistic and corrupt dynasties.
The rulers, he said, established offshore entities and amassed properties, safeguarding the future of their own offspring while damaging the aspirations and dreams of the nation. This state of affairs, he argued, erodes the nation’s promise for a better future.
“Poor are unable to bear the burden of inflated bills. We will observe strike and also hold peaceful protest demonstration in front of Wapda offices. We will force the government to take back decision aimed at targeting the poverty-stricken masses at the behest of the IMF.”
He highlighted that the pursuit of peace and the equitable dispensation of justice stand as formidable challenges. Over the past seven decades, he said, the governments of the so-called democratic parties and military dictators have prioritized safeguarding their self-interests, often at the expense of the nation’s welfare and the greater good of the country.
In light of these realities, he appealed to people to exercise caution and refrain from placing further trust in these entities. Instead, he advocated for the choice of capable and principled leadership, urging the masses to shun established parties that have been tried and stood exposed.
Haq articulated that Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has steadfastly laboured towards the establishment of a welfare-centred Islamic society since its inception in 1941. The visionary Syed Moududi (RA), the founder of the JI, fearlessly challenged martial laws and eloquently championed democracy and the rule of law. In the contemporary context, Haq asserted that the JI remains the singular viable alternative for the masses, offering a resounding option at the ballot box.
With unwavering conviction, the JI Emir expressed his belief that former rulers had failed to exhibit genuine concern for the welfare of the public. He fervently implored the citizens to reject established parties that have undergone trial and found them to be wanting, and instead, cast their valuable votes in favour of the JI. This party, he emphasized, holds forth the promise of authentic transformation and the establishment of an Islamic welfare state in Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023