Power crisis artificial: JI

[Naveed Yaseen]

JAMAAT-e-Islami Secretary General Syed Munawar Hasan has accused the Pakistan Peoples Party government of trying to throw the country into the stone age with 18-hour loadshedding, price hike, unemployment and increasing taxes.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Syed Munawar Hasan said the electricity crisis did not arise suddenly but it was created under a well thought-out conspiracy.

He said the government had stopped payments to the foreign power companies without taking the nation into confidence, which decreased the power production. He warned if the current situation continued the whole country would be without power very soon.

“Excessive loadshedding is forcing factories, tube-wells and production units to close down gradually while on the other hand, India has blocked water of Pakistani rivers but the rulers are busy promoting friendship with Delhi instead of protesting against its illegal move,” he said, adding that it looked as if the World Bank, the IMF, India and the US had joined hands to destroy Pakistani economy, agriculture and industry.

Munawar cited Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statement in which he had publicly admitted that the power rates were increased under the IMF pressure, saying ‘who knows this artificial power crisis was also created under the World Bank pressure.’

“The PPP government, which came to power with the slogan of Roti, Kapra Aur Makan, has actually deceived the poor masses,” he said, adding that the rulers had repeatedly increased rates of petrol, power, gas and eatables to make the lives of people difficult.

He said oil prices had dropped to less than half in the world market but the rulers in were shamelessly charging high prices from their poor masses.

Munawar said although the rulers were robbing the poor masses through taxes and fuel rates, yet they were visiting the countries all over the world with a beggar’s bowl, adding that the honesty and insincere rulers could never solve the country’s problems if they happened to get aid from all over the world. He said only Jamaat-e-Islami can provide sincere kind of leadership.

The JI leader said the government had disappointed the masses but the JI’s national congregation in Lahore from Oct 24 to 26 would provide them with fresh hope, courage and commitment to work for a better future.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=141908