LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer, Senator Sirajul Haq, has said that the masses could not be fed by trumpeting democracy and added that the rulers were adding to the miseries of the people by increasing prices.
Talking to different delegations at the residence of JI deputy chief Mian Muhammad Aslam, on Monday, he said that the government had failed to fulfill its election promises for controlling price spiral and corruption and it was eliminating the poor instead of poverty.
Sirajul Haq said that an additional burden of Rs. 27 billion was being placed on the consumers to supply gas to the areas of the ruling party legislators and termed it a most anti – people decision. He said it was unfortunate that there was none to raise voice against such a major decision as it served the selfish interest of the members. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the gas price increase.
The JI chief said that the policies prepared under the directives of the World Bank and the IMF could not serve national interests. He said that the government considered the welfare of the ministers and advisors as the welfare of the masses but it was mistaken. He said that the 36 per cent raise in gas prices would lead to a storm of price increase.
Sirajul Haq said that the common man was unable to foot the utilities bills and was even denied the basic facilities of health, education for children and a home. On other hand, the ruling elite were leading life of luxuries.
He said that the country did not have any system of accountability. He said the rulers did not afford any system of Ehtisab.
He said that if the plunder of over four trillion from the public exchequer was stopped, a qualitative change could be brought about in the life of the general public and their basic requirements could be met adequately.
Besides, he said, that according to the Federal Finance Minister, a huge sum of 200 billion dollars owned by the Pakistanis were lying in banks abroad. If even a small portion of this wealth was retrieved, the fate of the nation could be ameliorated.
