If Government Tries to Stop Us, Our Movement Will Turn Into a Siege: Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman
LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman today announced simultaneous protest sit-ins in all four provinces for protesting against high rates of inflation, skyrocketing electricity tariffs, petroleum levies and alleged corruption in the government.
Sit-ins will be arranged outside the Chief Minister House in Lahore and outside the Governor Houses in other provincial capitals, he added during the press conference with the central leaders in Mansoorah.
Heavy Levies and Elite Privileges
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that the government has already collected more petroleum levies than what has been targeted by the IMF and it was similar to extortion of the masses. He noted that although the nation has been able to generate billions of dollars in additional revenues, the oil refineries have not been modernized.
He condemned $17 billion a year “privileges” being given to the privileged class, while the poor pay heavy taxes, but there is no accountability for the elite.
The JI Emir said that the government has been extravagant, as an expensive car valued at Rs 90 million had been bought for the Senate chairman and Rs 11 billion had been spent on an aircraft for a chief minister. He called for the withdrawal of all luxury cars from the use of government officials and their replacement with 1,300cc cars.
IPP Mafia and Load Shedding
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the Independent Power Producer (IPP) mafia is still receiving huge capacity fees without producing any electricity and however they still enjoy exemption from taxes. He pointed out that the country was grappling with a situation of surplus electricity generation capacity but severe load shedding was being practiced in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said that only because of the public movement by Jamaat-e-Islami, there was some minor relief in power bills.
Education has turned into a class business and giving free and quality education and healthcare is everyone’s right, the JI Emir said, condemning socio-economic differences. He said the educated young people are generally jobless in the cities and the people are compelled to take risk by joining in migration to other countries due to pressing need.
In his concluding remarks, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman announced that the protesters of JI will march from various locations of Lahore from 4:00 PM to demonstrate in front of Chief Minister’s House.