Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday warned the government that the party could announce a countrywide strike if the recent increase in petrol and diesel prices was not withdrawn immediately.
Addressing a press conference on the third day of JI's sit-in outside the Punjab Chief Minister's House, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the public was already paying heavy taxes on every litre of fuel and could no longer bear the rising cost of living. He said the government must cut fuel prices, abolish the petroleum levy and bring petrol down to Rs225 per litre. He also announced that women and lawyers would join the ongoing protests.
JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch, Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Janjua, Deputy Secretaries Azhar Iqbal Hassan, Russal Khan Babar and Sheikh Usman Farooq, Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were also present at the press conference. 'JI is not fighting for itself. It is fighting for the rights of the people, ' Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said, adding that protesters remained determined to continue their movement. He said the latest increase in petrol and diesel prices had further angered the public. The government, he added, was collecting money from consumers through fuel levies as well as heavy taxes on electricity and gas bills.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also criticised widespread corruption in FBR, saying the institution's failure was contributing to the country's economic problems. Turning to independent power producers (IPPs), he said successive governments had signed costly agreements in the name of ending load-shedding. He said JI's earlier protests had forced the government to review some of these arrangements. He said the government had shut down five of 27 IPPs and itself claimed that the move would save the national exchequer Rs3. 36 trillion. He demanded similar action on agreements with the remaining IPPs.
The JI leader also highlighted rising food and farm costs. He said flour had reached Rs160 per kilogram and bread Rs25, while farmers were struggling to afford DAP and urea fertilisers. He criticised governments in Punjab and Sindh over education, health and agriculture, saying that thousands of schools in Punjab had been outsourced and that the education system in Sindh was also deteriorating.
The JI chief also attacked the country's political system, saying the PML-N, PPP and MQM were benefiting from the existing political setup. He called for empowered local governments and said constitutional provisions must be respected. He said Punjab had not held local government elections since 2015, while Balochistan had yet to conduct local elections.
He also criticised the official protocol given to political leaders, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent Karachi visit involved a convoy of 67 vehicles. He also criticised the protocol accompanying President Asif Ali Zardari.
Meanwhile, JI's sit-ins continued in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. The Lahore Bar Association announced its support for the Lahore protest.
Lahore Bar President Irfan Hayat Bajwa joined the sit-in and praised Hafiz Naeem for raising public awareness. He said lawyers would participate in the protest movement.