Siraj terms high power tariff, taxes social terrorism

LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Siraj-ul-Haq has warned that government was committing social terrorism against people by charging high tariff of electricity with over half a dozen taxes and raising prices of other utilities like fuel, gas, edibles etc.

As a result, poverty, inflation and mass suicides have become common in the country but rulers are unmoved, he said while addressing a meeting of party office-bearers and delegations from Balochistan at Mansoora on Sunday.

He lamented that present government has advanced the previous government’s IMF agenda with greater speed. Siraj-ul-Haq warned the ruling and opposition parties against inviting wrath of Allah Almighty by advancing a big conspiracy in the name of amendments to transgender law. He demanded the government withdraw anti-Sharia legislation and ask Allah for forgiveness.

He said the solution to all individual and collective problems lies only in Allah's system and only Jamaat-e-Islami can do this because it has a complete vision and team. He said the problems of the flood victims had increased due to the incompetence of the government.

He demanded the government hold survey of the losses and pay compensation to the victims so that their lives can be restored. He said that JI was keeping a close eye on the government's actions along with serving the flood victims until the last person is restored and will not allow corruption in the relief work like in the past.

He deplored that due to IMF’s demands the inflation had increased to an unbelievable extent making the life of the common man worse. The policy of getting more loans to pay off the debt of the current and previous governments has failed miserably and all governments that made generations indebted were the culprit of future generations.

He said JI wanted to make the country Islamic welfare state, where politics is not a business but a service, only the Islamic system gives this right to the people. He demanded abolishment of interest-based economy, IMF slavery, drastic cut in the non-developmental expenses, looted wealth should be returned, the system of direct taxes be abolished, the tax should be only on income and on the production of the land.

The JI leader demanded the government immediately reduce the prices of petroleum products, gas, electricity and restore subsidy on ghee, flour, pulses and sugar.