LAHORE MIRROR — Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has declared that the shutter-down strike scheduled for August 28 will be a historic event, expressing full support for the traders’ call to strike and urged them to stand united.
Speaking at a press conference at Mansoorah on Sunday, Rehman also challenged former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, asking him to disclose how much the Sharif family has benefitted from the national exchequer in the form of capacity charges on their IPPs. He criticized Nawaz for positioning himself as a savior by offering what he described as token relief to the people of Punjab amid rising power tariffs.
He urged traders to remain united and not fall victim to the government’s attempts to sow division within their ranks, stressing the importance of solidarity against such conspiracies. He also affirmed that JI would compel the government to honor the agreement reached following JI’s 14-day sit-in protest.
Looking ahead, he announced that JI would launch a nationwide membership campaign starting on September 1. This campaign will focus on mass mobilization across various issues, including electoral and land reforms, universal access to education and healthcare, democracy, missing persons, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.
He also paid tribute to the long struggle of the JI workers against the corrupt system. He said at prevailing scenario on the JI championed the rights of the people.
Rehman said both the PML-N and PPP came to power through rigged elections. He said that the government of these parties including the PTI and PML-Q had only not provided billions to the IPPs under capacity charges but also under tax exemptions.
He further held the PML-N, PPP, and their allies responsible for the current crises facing the country.
Rehman criticized Nawaz Sharif for indulging in provincial politics over the issue of electricity tariffs, offering relief to the people of Punjab despite having served as the country’s prime minister. He repeated JI’s demand for nationwide relief on electricity tariffs and forensic audit of the IPPs, appealing the people to make successful the strike.
