LAYYAH: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq has said “we will establish an Islamic government and introduce the interest-free financial system in the country”.

“We will abolish the tax system, implement Zakat and Ushr system and provide interest-free loans along with free electricity to peasants for agriculture purposes,” the JI emir said while addressing a Peasant Convention at Melad Ground here on Monday.

Led by thousands of motorcyclists, Sirajul Haq was welcomed at the venue by releasing hundreds of balloons and pigeons while rose petals were showered and horse and camel dance was also presented in his honour.

The JI leader said that today a joint session of Senate and the National Assembly was being held in Islamabad but he preferred to participate in the peasants’ assembly.

He said a farmer worked in hard and harsh conditions to grow wheat and other crops.

He said the government claimed that eight million tons of wheat was lying in its godowns then why the innocent children were dying of hunger in Tharparker.

He demanded of the government to purchase the last grain of wheat or else the farmers would stage a sit-in outside the houses of rulers and all residences of officials would be turned into wheat godowns.

The JI leader said that peasants of the south Punjab were worried about the sale of their wheat produce while he had asked the Al-Khidmat Foundation to procure wheat from them and distribute among the poor.

He said the conditions of farmers would never change unless they elected their own representatives instead of feudals and factory owners.

Mr Siraj said that the Jamaat-i-Islami would introduce a bill for the rights of peasants in the Punjab Assembly and Senate.

He said that wrong policies of the government had led to the establishment of Bangladesh and now the people of Balochistan were voicing for greater Balochistan.

He said the Baloch youths were not against Pakistan, but they were against the wrong policies of Islamabad.

Kissan Board’s district president Anwar Ali Gujjar, JI’s district emir Mubashir Naeem and Kissan Board’s Punjab president Sadiq Ashgar Khaqwani were also present.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2015

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