JI holds protest against price hike

RAWALPLINDI: Jamat-e-Islami (JI) on Friday took out a protest rally from Liaquat Bagh to Fawwara Chowk against price hike and economic policies of the incumbent government.

The JI Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq led the first major protest of the religio-political party in Rawalpindi since the 2018 general elections.

A large number of protestors participated in the peaceful protest rally. Participants of the rally carrying banners, placards and party flags reached Fawara Chowk while chanting slogans against the government. they demanded withdrawal of taxes in the federal budget.

The JI Secretary General Amirul Azeem, naib ameers Mian Muhammad Aslam and Liaquat Baloch, local leaders Syed Arif Shirazi and Nasrullah Randhawa also participated in the rally and addressed the protestors.

Addressing the protestors, Sirajul Haq came harsh on the government for failing to fulfil promises made with the people and imposing taxes which were poised to hit every segment of the society.

He said the government had managed to get the IMF programme at the cost of increase in electricity and gas tariffs, additional burden of taxes and uncontrollable appreciation of dollar and increasing inflation across the country.

“Nobody can deny the fact that the budget was prepared by the government at the wish of the IMF,” he said.

Sirajul Haq said that negative impacts of the budget have already started trickling down to the common man, and the same would also affect industrial and business activity across the country.

He JI top leader said that in the days to come, a large number of people would come out on roads to reject budgetary measures and economic policies of the government.