JI stages rallies against hike in power tariff, inflation

PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday arranged protest demonstrations across the province against the rising price-hike of daily items and government’s inability to implement the agreement it had made with the party during a sit-in last month.

In the provincial capital, the demonstration, held at Hashtnagri Chowk in Peshawar, was led by district chief of the party Bahrullah Khan.

Central vice-president of the party Maulana Ataur Rahman and general secretary Abdul Wasi led a protest rally in Mardan.

The speakers strongly condemned the government for its failure to provide relief to the people. They said that the government had made a promise with the JI last month that they would make public the agreements made with the Independent Power Producers and bring down the prices of electricity, petroleum products and other items of daily use. But despite the lapse of 45 days duration given for implementation of the agreement, the promises could not be materialized.

They warned the government to take urgent steps for providing relief to the people or else they would launch another protest drive.

They said that the JI workers would never hesitate from launching a long march towards the federal capital, if their party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman gave them directives.

The protestors also expressed concern over the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrullah in Lebanon and chanted slogans against Israel in the gatherings.

They urged the Muslim rulers to break their silence and take a brave stance against Israel’s atrocities. In Mansehra, the rally was taken out from JI Markaz which marched through Karakoram Highway and Abbottabad Road. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bahadar Shah, the district chief of JI, said: “Our central headHafiz Naeemur Rehman had given the government a deadline to withdraw extra surcharges and levies from the electricity bills but to no avail.”

The party’s activists and workers from across the district also staged the sit-in alongside KKH in Ghazikot and raised slogans in support of their demands, and against the government.

Dr Bahadar said that because of the current highest-ever inflation, the people couldn’t meet expenses incurred on kitchen and children’s education. “Our fight is against this system which empowers the government to snatch two times meals from a family without considering ground realities,” he said. The JI district chief said that people couldn’t pay their electricity bills as the government had hiked power tariff four times and levied various taxes and surcharges.

Another leader of JI, Asim Shahzad said that their peaceful struggle would continue until the government meets their demands and rationalised electricity tariff.

“We want immediate review of electricity tariff, reduction in taxes on salaries of individuals and effective measures to curb inflation,” he said.

He said people from different walks of life also took part in the sit-in and demanded an immediate withdrawal of extra taxes and surcharges from electricity bills.

Meanwhile, JI activists also staged a sit-in in Torghar and demanded an immediate withdrawal of taxes and surcharges from electricity bills.