Govt reduced price of petrol, but this reduction is insufficient: Liaqat Baloch

RAWALPINDI, Aug 1 (SABAH): Liaqat Baloch, Naib Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and head of the negotiation committee, has said that in the second round of negotiations with the government, Jamaat-e-Islami has made it clear that the sit-in of Jamaat-e-Islami is not for party agenda or personal interests or getting rid of cases or getting any concessions.

Liaqat Baloch said the participants of the sit-in are working hard for the interests of the people and to relieve 25 crore people from the severe economic burden. He said the government reduced the price of petrol but this reduction is not enough. He said there is still a lot of room as the government can reduce by another 10 rupees per litre.

After the second round of negotiations, Liaqat Baloch held a media talk along with JI Secretary General Ameerul Azim, Emir JI Islamabad Engineer Nasrullah Randhawa and Farast Shah and briefed Emir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem Rehman regarding the progress of negotiations.

Liaqat Baloch said that the burden of electricity bills is unbearable for ordinary households and middle-class, adding people want relief in electricity bills. If the prices of electricity and petrol are affordable for the people, the economic, industrial, commercial and agricultural wheels will run, the people will get convenience and employment will increase, the youth will be saved from the punishment of drugs and street crimes, he remarked.

The additional income tax on the income of private and government employed professionals should be withdrawn, adding the situation of IPPs has become dire now. It is now a national demand to review and audit the agreements and their implementation, otherwise not only IPPs but new investments will be affected and people wrath will explode and no one will be able to control what happens.

For the masses, the lavish style of aristocracy, the administration and the civil-military privileged class is intolerable, he said and added if there is poverty and economic crisis, why should the privileged class enjoy, now it won’t work.

Liaqat Baloch said that the martyrdom of Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh has given new awareness to the Muslim Ummah. He said that cruel fascist faces of America, Israel, Britain and India have been exposed. He said the veto power countries have misused the right of veto based on their preferences and made the United Nations a useless, paralyzed and helpless institution and a mere debating forum, adding the Muslim ruling leadership must wake up now.