Hike in power tariff: Siraj urges govt to review decision

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sirajul Haq has called upon the caretaker government to reconsider its decision to increase power tariffs, warning them of the public frustration if they failed to do so.

On appeal of JI, a countrywide shutter-down strike was observed on Saturday and party chief toured various markets in Lahore and expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the trading community for their support of JI’s cause.

Addressing a protest rally against inflation at The Mall, he said that the strike unfolded peacefully, sending a clear message to the ruling authorities that the Pakistani nation sought its rights without resorting to violence. Siraj argued that the caretaker government lacked the authority to make critical decisions, as such matters should fall within the purview of elected public representatives. He attributed the ongoing inflation to the policies of the previous PDM and PPP administrations, noting that it also represented a continuation of the ill-conceived economic policies of the PTI.

He criticized the former ruling parties for capitulating to the IMF and entering into unfavourable agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). He urged the government to combat power theft and reduce line losses rather than burdening the poor. He questioned the inclusion of various taxes in electricity bills and called for an end to the provision of free electricity to government officials and the ruling elite. The JI chief took aim at the caretaker prime minister for his statements on inflation, terming it against the ground realities.

He held the PDM and PPP’s former unity government responsible for the economic deterioration, asserting that the former prime minister had put the last nail in the coffin of the nation’s economy before fleeing to London. The two dominant political families, he said, were overall responsible for the current state of unrest among the people.

Siraj stressed that the country needed political stability, which could only be achieved if institutions maintained their neutrality and remained apolitical. He advocated for free and fair elections as the solution to the nation’s problems, calling for polls to be held within 90 days. Meanwhile, markets and shops remained in Lahore but also in Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, and other major and minor cities. JI leaders led protest rallies against inflation in these cities, demonstrating widespread support for the cause.