KARACHI, Sept 19: Leaders of Jamaat-i-Islami have criticized the government for raising diesel prices and PIA fare for Umra on the eve of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak and termed it an anti-people policy.

Maintaining that an increase in fuel prices, especially that of diesel, always resulted in consumer goods getting dearer, the JI leaders Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Abdul Sattar Afghani, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Laeeq Khan and Nasrullah Shaji said that the move would plunge the already hard-pressed common man into a deeper economic crisis.

The policy of pursuing dictates of the IMF and World Bank is sheer injustice, they remarked.

The government, they observed, instead of pursuing a policy to provide relief to common man, had resorted to execute conditionalities of the financial institutions. This, they pointed out, had already rendered thousands of people jobless. At the same time, the prevalent law and order situation was preventing establishment of more industrial units that could ensure a drop in the rate of unemployment, they added.

Referring to the hike in Umra fares by PIA, they expressed the view that the government was liable to provide maximum possible facilities to the citizens in fulfilling their religious obligations that included Umra. However, they regretted, it had resorted to make financial gains by taking advantage of the holy month of Ramazan like a profiteer.

They appealed to the Prime Minister, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, to get the raise in Umra fare withdrawn and immediately issue directives to the concerned ministries in this regard.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hussain Mehanti (MNA) and Nasrullah Shaji (MPA) on Friday visited Al-Hilal Society where many houses were demolished on the orders of Water Board authorities. The legislators met the displaced people.