F.P. Report
LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq has said the passage of a private member bill granting extensive privileges to chairmen Senate shows the government has no sympathy for the nation.
He was addressing a reception and workers’ convention hosted by the Jamiat Tulba Arabia (JTA) Maidan chapter, a seminary students’ wing of the JI, at Kumbar in Maidan as chief guest here the other day. The function was also addressed by the JI district chief Izazul Mulk Afkari, former MPA Saeed Gul, JI tehsil chief Haji Fazal Wahab, district president Al-Khidmat Foundation Hafeezullah Khaksar and others.
Sirajul Haq said the Senate of Pakistan recently passed unanimously a bill known as ‘the chairman Senate (Salaries, Allowance and Privileges) Act, 2023’ for granting extra perks and privileges to current and former chairmen Senate and other members. The JI chief regretted that the PDM allied parties supported the bill which was ironic owing to the current economic situation of the country.
“It clearly shows the rulers have nothing to do with the masses”, he said, adding the implementation of the Act would provide lifelong financial benefits to chairmen Senate. He alleged the taxpayers’ money and foreign loans were being spent on luxury of rulers. He demanded the government to review the bill and provide relief to the general masses. The JI chief said the nation had tested both the PDM and the PTI, so now it should vote for his party. He said the JI had an honest, pious and devoted team and it had the ability to steer the country out of turmoil.
Siraj said the country faced lawlessness, unemployment, inflation and corruption while the leaders of all major political parties were playing blame games. He expressed grief and anger over the Greece incident wherein 280 Pakistanis got martyrdom in a boat crash. He said the rulers and the elite class both were equally responsible for that tragic incident. He said the youth suffered from depression due to unemployment and they burnt their degrees across the country.
About the Karachi mayor election, the JI chief alleged that a majority was turned into a minority and vice versa. “What kind of democracy is it?” he asked, adding the nation had no more trust in such a democracy. JI chief said that international monetary institutions did not trust the rulers to sanction further loans. He said the government should instead cut its non-developmental expenditure if it was sincere about overcoming the current financial crisis.
The JI chief also participated in the party’s ‘Dastak’ campaign in Lal Qila Maidan and asked the workers to speed up their election drive in the area.
