Sirajul Haq asks govt to recover money from sugar, wheat mafia

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq warned that the sugar and wheat mafia was still taking the country hostage and majority of the PTI government comprised those who had been the key members of the past governments whom PTI had always condemned as corrupt and criminals.

Prime Minister Imran Khan always make tall claims and promises but forgets them very next day, he said while talking to the media after inaugurating wheat harvest at a village on Burki Road here on Tuesday. Sirajul Haq said the governments were responsible to procure every grain of wheat from the growers, adding that heavy rains and storms had badly damaged the wheat crop this year. Therefore, the government should announce relief package for small farmers, paddy growers should be provided free seed, fertilizer and pesticides, and interest free loans for the purchase of farm machinery.

He demanded that government must ensure procuring every grain of wheat from the farmers, and purchase it at the rate of Rs 1400 per maund, enforce agriculture emergency in the country, and announce an agriculture policy with the consultation with farmers’ representatives, besides forcing the sugar millers to pay the withheld payments of cane growers. He urged the sugar mills owners to honor their commitment to the sugar cane growers and clear their dues immediately.

He said the PTI government had caused unprecedented trouble to the farmers, urging the rulers to include the farmers in its corona relief package as well. He said that harvest had already begun but adequate measures had not been adopted for the safety of the farmers from corona. Sirajul Haq reiterated his demand that billions of rupees earned by the sugar and atta mafia through subsidy should be recovered from them and distributed among small farmers.

Earlier, addressing a meeting to review the relief work for the corona affected people, Sirajul announced that JI decided to speed up the relief work during the Ramazan. He said JI workers would reach the doorsteps of every deserving person with relief, clean and disinfect every mosque, and offer collective prayers at the mosques to seek blessings and forgiveness of Almighty Allah.

He stressed the affluent countrymen to revive the Sunnah of brotherhood of the Prophet (PBUH) and everybody should try to provide every possible help to his brothers in need.