JI chief urges govt to shut IPPs, give relief to poor masses

Amid police crackdown, closure of twin cities’ main roads and arrest of hundreds of workers, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) workers and leadership have reached Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi to hold sit-in against inflation and hike in power prices, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing the participants of sit-in at Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi, Hafiz Naeem said that JI workers will not bow before government pressure. He flayed police action against JI workers and blockages of roads by the government.

JI chief made it clear that their sit-in will continue until the federal government takes back privileges and luxuries from the elite class and offers big relief to the masses in power bills and other essential items.

He made it clear that JI will not leave the masses in lurch. He urged the government to scrap agreements with IPPs so that masses get a sigh of relief.

He said due to the wrong policies of the government, the salaried class has destroyed, the poor were committing suicides while investors were being forced to close their mills.

JI chief said owing to government’s wrong policies, the people are worried. Brother is killing brother because of inflated power bills. He questioned the government if the economic condition is worse then why they were increasing their perks.

He said the government was raising prices on the advice of the IMF and now the house rent is low but electricity bill is high. He said power bills have forced industrialists to shut down industries.

JI chief said the government has paid Rs 28 billion a year to IPPS despite the fact that IPPS have not generated a single unit of electricity. He questioned why masses pay this money. He told the government that public will not pay this money and now many IPPs will have to be closed by the government.

Hafiz Naeem told the protestors that gas and electricity were free for one class but the poor people are paying huge taxes on it. Now entire nation was realizing true facts regarding IPPs.

He said it was a joke that 36 types of taxes have been placed in the electricity bills.

He urged the government to end this oppression on 25 crore people. He lamented that some political parties whose problem were that they did not get their share in the rigging.

Red Zone sealed off

Red Zone of Islamabad has been completely sealed by placing containers ahead of the start of Jamaat-e-Islami’s three-day sit-in against rising inflation and electricity costs from July 26.

Similarly, the routes leading to the federal capital have been partially sealed, while heavy contingents of police have taken their positions at all the entry and exit points of the city.

Likewise, the route connecting Faizabad to Murree Road has been sealed as well, while the one leading to Pir Wadhai from the Expressway has been partially closed for traffic. The area under the Faizabad flyover on the Expressway has also been declared partially off-limits for traffic.

Heavy police contingents have been deployed in and around the D-Chowk, Serena Chowk, NADRA Chowk and Margallah Road to keep the JI workers and supporters at bay.

As the police have completely sealed Islamabad’s Red Zone by placing containers to prevent the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) workers from staging a sit-in to register their protest against inflation and soaring prices of electricity, JI Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman urged the party workers and supporters to reach the federal capital's D-Chowk by 5:00 PM today come what may.

In order to further ensure that the sit-in was not held, the government has restricted the metro bus service to Rawalpindi, while section 144 has already been enforced in Punjab for a three-day period.

JI, PTI workers arrested from D-Chowk

Islamabad Police launched a crackdown on the JI protestors and arrested 25 party workers from the D-Chowk.

The police said those arrested were shouting anti-government slogans. Similarly, the police also took one person into custody from the Expressway Chowk.

In a bid to stop JI and PTI workers from marching towards Islamabad, the Punjab Police personnel now also have been deployed at Taxila.

On the other hand, Lahore Police, in an operation on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and Ring Road, took over 150 political workers into custody most of whom, as per sources, belonged to the PTI.

Sources disclosed that the PTI workers had disguised themselves JI workers. On Thursday too, Lahore Police had rounded up over 100 persons to thwart JI’s and PTI’s protest plans.

On the other hand, caravans of JI leaders and workers are marching towards Islamabad from different parts of the country.

The party workers have left Lahore for the capital city in groups. JI South Lahore Naeb Ameer Ahmad Salman Baloch is leading one of these groups.

The party on Thursday claimed that the police had raided its leaders and workers’ homes in different cities of the country in a bid to stop them from heading towards Islamabad to register their protest.

The JI alleged that the police did not even treat its women properly and misbehaved with them.

Secretary General Ameer-ul-Azeem reported that raids were conducted on the homes of key party figures, including Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Amir Ziauddin Ansari.

JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also warned the government of the consequences if the party was prevented from entering Islamabad for their protest. In a statement, Naeem stated that they believed in peaceful political resistance to secure public rights. "We are not afraid of arrests, and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped," he said.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to limit JI protesters to Zero Point Islamabad and would not be allowed to move to D Chowk.

The government has also made preparations for crackdown if protesters move towards D Chowk. All police personnel have been summoned to Zero Point.

Decisions regarding stopping of JI sit-in at Zero Point was made in a high-level meeting of police officers. After the meeting, instructions were issued to ARU, CTD, ATS Squads to assemble at a Zero-Point.

Police have decided to use tear gas shells and water cannons so that protestors may not move from Zero Point to D Chowk.

To foil Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) sit-in and protest demonstrations, Islamabad police have arrested more than 25 JI workers from D Chowk Islamabad and shifted them to various police stations.

Earlier, amid arrests of workers and sealing of major roads with containers in twin cities by the administration, JI has announced Plan B of its sit-in against inflation and inflated power bills.

Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to hold sit-ins at three different places in the twin cities. One sit-in will be held at Murree Road Rawalpindi which will be led by JI leader Ameerul Azim and Dr. Osama Razi.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeem Rehman will lead the sit-in at Zero Point Islamabad. Deputy Amir Liaquat Baloch, Mian Aslam and other provincial leadership will join him there. JI will hold third dharna at Chungi 26 under the leadership of of Naib Emir Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, Prof Muhammad Ibrahim and other provincial leadership.

JI leadership claims that till the acceptance of their demands, the sit-in will continue.

Meanwhile, JI Rawalpindi district Emir Arif Sherazi told media that local administration has allowed JI to hold dharna at Liaquat Bagh Chowk and the Murree Road will not be closed from both sides.

He said JI workers will offer maghrib prayer in Liaqaut Bagh. He said JI Emir Hafiz Naeem will also reach Liaquat Bagh and address the workers.

Arif Sherazi said that until the government announce relief in power bills, sit-in will continue.

Earlier, addressing the workers at Chungi 26, JI chief Hafiz Naeem said that their protest was aimed at securing people's rights. He said the government has arrested hundreds of JI workers who were coming to join the march. He urged the government not to harass the people, remove the container, and let everyone participate in the sit-in. He said JI was making a peaceful constitutional struggle.

He said the government was squeezing public blood in the name of capacity charges. He claimed that IPPs were minting crores of rupees from the masses. He urged the government to give relief to the people by reducing the prices of electricity. He urged the government to reduce the burden on the salaried class. Electricity prices should be reduced and relief should be given to the people. He said JI have not come to ask for anything for itself.

 Reporters: Farzana Siddique, Rana Faran Yameen, Muhammad Ali and Waqas Ahmad