Hafiz Naeemur Rehman urges govt to release JI workers or face consequences

RAWALPINDI, July 27 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has urged government to release JI workers or face consequences. He said on Saturday the sit-in might take an ugly turn if the government failed to do away with fascism.

He said Liaqat Baloch had been given the mandate to negotiate with the committee formed by the federal government.

During a press talk, the JI emir demanded to halt the already completed contracts with the IPPs, and also to negotiate with the stakeholders of the ongoing contracts. He also demanded the forensic audit of the IPPs allegedly involved in forgery.

He said that a number of workers including the elderly are still behind the bars in several areas of Punjab. The party workers are arrested in Lahore and FIRs have been registered against them, he added.

The JI emir demanded immediate release of the workers and the dismissal of cases against them.

He reiterated that “we are fighting for the rights of 250 million Pakistanis”.

The JI emir emphasised that Pakistan was experiencing brain drain due to a large number of young Pakistanis rapidly moving out of the country for a better and stable future.

He alleged that the power plants were owned by the Sharif family, and that the family was responsible for Pakistan’s deterioration.

Rehman concluded that many people in the JI wanted to stage the sit-in at D-Chowk, but this would have resulted in violence.

“But if our demands are not met, we will be forced to move towards D-Chowk.

Liaqat Baloch, while speaking to Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi over telephone, demanded reduction in the cost of bills up to 500 units by 50 per cent, termination of contracts to make capacity payments to IPPs and stop paying them in dollars.
He also demanded that the government reverse the latest increase in petrol prices and lift the petroleum development levy.