Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hassan has condemned the power tariff hike imposed through the NEPRA after its withdrawal on the Supreme Court orders, and said the government is driving the masses towards civil disobedience.
In a statement on Saturday, he said that sharp raise in electricity tariff on IMF dictation was one of the most anti-people steps. He said the rulers, who were slaughtering the people with the blunt weapon of price spiral, are not ready to cut down their lavish spending or bring their ill-gotten billions in foreign banks back to the country. However, he said that the nation had offered huge sacrifices by now and this was the time for the elite and the privileged people to make sacrifices.
Munawwar said that the PML-N, which had been promising relief to the masses by providing jobs and cutting down prices, had instead worsened the lot of the people by raising the prices of the POL and electricity tariff every week. He said the government would have to raise the power tariff at short intervals to meet the MF terms; therefore it could not provide any relief to the masses. He said that the US wanted to deprive this country of its independence and sovereignty through the IMF and World Bank, and the rulers were serving as its tools.
Commenting on Army Chief General Kayani’s address at Kakul Academy expressing satisfaction over the government-Taliban talks, the JI chief said that besides extending support to the dialogue, the army should create an atmosphere wherein the two sides came closer together and the dialogue was begun.
He said that as long as the talks were not started, the elements opposed to peace would remain active and continue their conspiracies against talks.
Rulers pushing masses towards civil disobedience: JI.