Contracts with IPPs are illegal, should be brought before nation: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman

RAWALPINDI, July 29 (SABAH): Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has said that the contracts with IPPs are illegal, they should be brought before the nation.

Addressing a press conference on the fourth day of the sit-in in Rawalpindi, Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that it has been 4 days since the sit-in, this historic sit-in is coming to the world as a message of determination and courage. He said electricity bills are falling like bombs on the people, no one holds them accountable, adding now people are being forced to commit suicides.

He said that the challenge is done by political people, it is the responsibility of political parties to challenge the oppression on people, adding the environment that has been created that no voice is coming forward except of Jamaat-e-Islami. He said Jamaat-e-Islami decided that it would represent 25 crore people of the country.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that we are present on the Murree Road doing peaceful resistance, it is a pity that women who were thousands in number were treated badly in Lahore and women were blocked from all sides. The roads are blocked, the provincial and federal governments are creating difficult situations for themselves by erecting barriers, he added.

Emir Jamaat-e-Islami said, “I am demanding that the obstacles should be removed immediately, our mothers, sisters and daughters should be allowed to participate in the sit-in. These situations are faced by the women of the house. When women come out for their rights, you erect obstacles in their way. These cowardly things are being done.”

He said that Pakistan cannot bear the path of conflict, when barriers are erected, they will also be broken, then do not complain to us, adding previous governments have made IPPs powerful. He said the contracts done with the IPPs should be brought before the nation.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that the real right belongs to the one who contracts legally, who has stopped the hand of the government from abolishing capacity charges, why should we pay this money in our electricity bills? Emir Jamaat-e-Islami said that we have put our demands before the government in the first round of negotiations.

He said, “Government should tell whether the officers of WAPDA and other departments do not get free electricity. A very large section gets free petrol, they travel in big cars, they get free petrol for home and personal use, free petrol is given to various officers.”