If an attempt is made to stop Islamabad sit-in, it will turn into a movement to topple govt: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman 

KARACHI: JULY 24: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said that the JI doesn’t want to pick the route of civil disobedience, however, he expressed his determination to exercise rights, while warning the government against sabotaging the July 26 Islamabad sit-in. He said if an attempt is made to stop Islamabad sit-in, it will turn into a movement to topple govt. 

The JI supremo expressed these views while addressing a gathering of lawyers hosted by the Karachi Bar Association at Jinnah Auditorium in the city court, here on Wednesday. Later, in the day, the JI head also addressed a traders’ convention at a local hall. 

Speaking on the occasions, he said that he said that the sit-in was aimed at bringing relief for 250 million Pakistanis and any attempt to disrupt it would lead the nation to a full-scale anti-government movement.  He said that the JI has been considering all the options, including strikes, countrywide lockdowns and boycott of electricity bills, if the government fails to admit initial demands. The JI would continue talks, if the government admits initial demands, he said. 

   He further said that the JI believes in peaceful democratic struggle for the solution of political issues. He made it clear that the government will have to go packing, if the people are barred from exercising their constitutional and democratic right.  The sit-in will continue till its logical conclusion, the government will have to reduce the illogical and unjust burden of taxes, particularly from the salaried class. Talking about the core demands, he said that the unjust agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that bound the nation to pay the IPPs as per their capacity and not generation will have to be scrapped. 

He made it clear that the nation will not pay them hefty Rs 2,800 billion to a few entities. He said that these agreements have been signed since 1994 in the tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People Party. Under the cruel agreements, the nation is made to pay against the electricity that is never generated, whereas the hard earned taxpayers’ money, worth hundreds of billions of rupees, is syphoned to a few individuals.

Talking about the mega city, he said that a decisive struggle is needed against the K-Electric. A private company that has continuously been failing to reduce line losses, load shedding and to address the issue of production for the past 20 long years, he said, adding that ironically the same company has been licensed for production or electricity, transmission and distribution of electricity.  He further said that kickbacks were involved in all the business surrounding the KE. He added that the nation will not accept the cruel slab system in the electricity bills anymore. 

The JI chief held the PPP and the MQM responsible for the prevailing crimes, corruption and other crimes in Karachi. He recalled that the army chief himself had announced that the organized corruption network entitled “system” in Sindh will be busted. He added that instead of busting the “sytem”, it was given access to Islamabad and Baluchistan.

Engr Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman highlighted the burning issues of Karachi, ranging between water distribution and street crimes. He added that unfortunately the traces of crimes lead to Bilawal House. He said that the PPP and the MQM were imposed on Karachi through forging form 47 and that was a taboo on the face of democracy. 

The JI leader also shed light in detail on the cruelties faced by the lawyers’ fraternity on part of the MQM and dictator Musharaff.  JI Karachi Ameer Munem Zafar said that Karachiites will join the sit-in for their due rights in response to the appeal of the JI chief. 

Amir Nawaz Advocate and Ikhtiar Ali Channa Advocate also addressed the event at the city court, whereas Attiq Mir, Jawed Balwani, Babar Khan addressed among others the traders convention. Mahmood Hamid presented a resolution against the scheme introduced by the government for traders.