Inflation is still high, says Sirajul Haq

LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has lamented that inflation is still uncontrollable since the government failed to timely pass the benefit of a sharp decrease in the prices of petroleum products.

Addressing a meeting of JI office-bearers headed by JI Secretary General Ameerul Azim at Mansoora on Tuesday, he said the rate of everything went high in minutes in case of increase in POL prices but the masses were passed no benefit if the price of petrol went down. He demanded the government take notice of the situation and provide some relief to the poverty-ridden masses. Millions of labourers and daily wagers, he said, were living a miserable life and many were compelled to commit suicide as they were unable to meet their both ends in the prevailing situation. People are closing down their businesses and according to government’s own figures around 17.3m became jobless since the start of the pandemic, he said, adding 60 million went below the poverty line during the period. But the prime minister and his team, he regretted, were singing their own praises on some reduction in POL prices contrary to the fact that the decrease was nothing when one compared it with international market. Meanwhile, Siraj made a phone call to Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri on Tuesday, and demanded the government take clear stand on the issue of desecration of the shrine of Muslim caliph Hazrat Umar bin Abdulaziz (RA) and his wife in Syria. He said the criminal elements who exhume the graves of great caliph and his wife in Syria must be punished. A session of the OIC should be called to discuss the unfortunate incident and steps were needed to avoid such kind of future happenings, he told the minister.

Baloch: Jamaat-e-Islami naib ameer Liaqat Baloch said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech on the virus and deadlock was full of controversies and confusion.

The Center was stubborn against evolving policies with the consultation of the provinces which was the reason behind the rapid spread of the virus, he said while commenting on PM’s policies on Tuesday. The prime minister, he suggested, must take into confidence the nation and formulate a strategy by taking on board the opposition to bring the country out of the crisis. The government’s announcement to bring back overseas Pakistanis should not be mere an announcement rather a proper plan is required for the purpose, he said. Baloch also expressed concern over rising violence on innocent Kashmiris in the held valley, demanding the world shun silence and ensure the people of the Indian occupied region to get their right to self determination.