Siraj asks govt to reduce atta, sugar, oil prices

LAHORE: Jamaat e Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has demanded the government to withdraw the increase in prices of Atta, sugar, and cooking oil.

In a statement on Satruday, he said this was no politics but the issue of poor man’s life. He said it was shocking that the price of a 20kg wheat flour bag had risen by Rs100. It seemed the government wanted to kill the poor by price hike. He said it was unfortunate that due to IMF pressure, the government was not ready to speak on the oppressive taxes and price hike caused by the budget. He said prices of atta, sugar, Ghee and pulses had risen tremendously yet the government claimed to have presented a poor man’s budget.

Meanwhile, JI will stage its second Awami march against unending price spiral, unemployment and "IMF slavery" at Faisalabad on Sunday (today) led by Senator Sirajul Haq. The protest march will start from Chiniot Bazaar and terminate at Chowk Ghanta Ghar where Sirajul Haq will announce the future line of action in JI’s movement against the IMF slavery and economic problems facing the common man. Other leaders will also address.

JI information secretary Qaisar Sharif said country’s economy was in ICU and next year’s budget presented by IMF planted team was the worst in Pakistan’s history. He said the entire nation, all political parties, business and trade circles had rejected the budget.

Baloch: JI naib ameer Liaqat Baloch has alleged that Imran Khan's government has entered into a secret pact with the IMF without taking the parliament, cabinet, national leadership and important institutions of the federation into confidence.

After this deal, the rulers would have to dance to the tune of the IMF on every national issue, he said while addressing a meeting with the delegation of JI leaders from Balochistan, led by Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi and Hidayat ur Rahman. Baloch said the immature rulers would have to walk on IMF tight rope but they would not only fall down themselves but also ruin the country and democratic system. He said the federal and provincial governments were not interested in solving the problems of the masses on their doorstep for which the local bodies were the best system.

Meanwhile, JI secretary general Amirul Azeem has lamented that the rulers had handed over the entire country to the IMF and unleashed a tsunami of price hike on the poor masses. Addressing the central executive body of National Labour Federation at Mansoorah on Saturday, he said it was more painfuil that the PML-N, PPP and MQM were shouting for production orders instead of talking against price hike. He said labourers and farmers were the worst hit by the government policies as industry and agriculture were on the verge of collapse. He appealed the NLF workers to rise against the injustice and exploitation. He said the NLF had already proved itself as the biggest labourers federation and had been regularly protesting against the privatization of the national institutions and the price spiral. He said JI was launching a movement against price hike with the support of labourers.