KARACHI, March 27: The Pakistan Muslim League-N Sindh chapter has announced its full support to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal for its wheel-jam general strike call for April 2.
This decision was conveyed by the PML-N Sindh chapter Secretary General, Mamnoon Hussain, to the MMA leaders who met him to seek his party’s support for the scheduled strike. Mr Hussain, who is also former Sindh governor, said the PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif, had already announced to fully back the MMA’s strike call.
Expressing solidarity with the MMA leaders, he appealed to all citizens, small traders, transporters, shopkeepers and to people from all walks of life to make the strike a success, as government policies had multiplied the miseries of the common man.
He said President Pervez Musharraf, instead of taking necessary steps to check the soaring price trend, was after parties to break them by his misguiding statements.
The PML-N leader also appealed to party workers, supporters and well wishers to join hands with the MMA leadership to make the strike a success.
Meanwhile, the MMA’s Karachi chapter has formed three subcommittees to coordinate for preparations for the April 2 wheel-jam strike in the country against increasing prices of edible goods, petroleum products, and rising unemployment.
These committees were formed at the MMA’s meeting held on Saturday with local MMA chief Hafiz Muhammad Taqi in the chair.
Talking to Dawn after the meeting, Mr Taqi said one of the committee led by Maulana Naseer Sawati will coordinate with the transporters while another committee led by Mr Rafique Ahmad would contact different labour organizations and seek their cooperation for the strike.
Another committee to be led by Mr Taqi himself would contact traders and business community leaders and convince them to join hands for the cause, as the increasing prices had been adding to the miseries of people.
It had become difficult for the common man to afford two meals despite engagement of all members of a family in revenue generating activities, he said.
Meanwhile, addressing a public meeting on Sunday in Gulshan-i-Hadeed, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, the Amir of JI Karachi, said that April 2 would be a victory day for the oppressed people.
He said the policies of the military rulers of privatisation, unchecked prices of essential commodities and petroleum had multiplied their sufferings. Rest assured, the MMA would not let the people alone and helpless, and would continue to strive to get rid of the military rulers for good, he said vehemently.
Dr Mairaj said they would not allow local agents of the US and generals to work against Islam in the name of enlightenment and promote obscenity and secularism under government patronage.
JI WOMEN WING: The Convener of the JI (Women wing) and MNA, Dr Aisha Munawwar, has said Pakistan’s foundations were being eroded by making its ideology controversial.
Speaking at a ‘Pakistan Ideology Conference’ at Annu Bhai Park in Nazimabad, she said that approval of the Aga Khan Educational Board was the worst example of the anti-Pakistan-ideology steps of the rulers.
She said that for the appeasement of India, mujahideens were being labelled as terrorists and women were being exploited in the name of freedom and equality.
She asked why had the champions of women rights failed to get justice for Dr Shazia Khalid and Mukhtaran Mai, adding that the guarantee for justice to women was possible only through the Pakistan ideology under an Islamic system.
