Sirajul Haq asks govt, Opp to end differences

LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has appealed that extraordinary coronavirus situation demands both government and opposition parties to freeze political differences.

The JI chief asked the government to constituted a national crises management committee comprising National Assembly members to deal with corona crisis.

He stated this while addressing the All Parties Conference of opposition via video link from Mansoora on Tuesday, said a JI spokesman. Sirajul Haq demanded the government waive all taxes, duties and surcharges on petrol, power, gas and water for next three months, and expressed sorrow that oil prices in the world fell down more than 35 per cent but Prime Minister Imran Khan only declared Rs 15 reduction in per litre petrol price, which was insufficient as compared to the actual reduction.

He also lamented over PM’s relief package under which Rs 3,000 per month would be given to poor workers. He termed it insufficient and demanded it should be raised to at least Rs 9,000.

He also demanded waiver of toll tax, house tax and excise duty on houses, urging government to pay at least one month salary to the low paid workers associated with the export based industries and factories. He urged the nation to regularly make collective and individual repentance and supplication to seek the blessings of Allah Almighty to ward off this catastrophe from the Ummah and entire world.

He asked the government to immediately announce abolishing interest. He said government should appeal to the UN to lift sanctions imposed on the Muslim countries like Iran. He said a comprehensive strategy against coronavirus demanded not only the federation and provinces, but all the opposition parties also be on the same page with the government.

He said if the PTI government had responded to the emergency last month and a timely national action plan would have been chalked out, the country would have been much safer and better placed to counter the catastrophe.