PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami has announced to launch a movement against the government soon after Eidul Fitr to get rid of the rulers.

Addressing a news conference at Al-Markaz-i-Islami here on Sunday, JI provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that the rulers failed to deliver rather added to the miseries of people during their nine-month government.

He said that his party had already rejected the bailout package as it was tantamount to handing over the country to IMF. He said that a delegation of JI would participate in the Iftar dinner of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari but party chief Sirajul Haq would not participate in it as he was already in contact with the leaders of opposition parties.

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Flanked by other JI leaders including MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, provincial general secretary Abdul Wasi and Sardar Khan, the JI provincial chief termed the amnesty scheme a legal protection to the thieves and plunderers of the national wealth. He said that it was not acceptable to the nation.

He said that taxpayers were overburdened with imposition of additional taxes while those involved in corruption were given relief through the amnesty scheme.

He said that increase in prices of petroleum products, natural gas, medicines and electricity led to increase in the rates of all essential commodities but it seemed that there was no concrete planning to overcome the financial crisis.

“We cannot give more time to the incapable rulers to play with lives of people. Our party will take to the streets soon after Eidul Fitr,” said Mr Khan.

He added that JI would arrange protest rallies, seminars, demonstrations and conferences at tehsil, district and divisional levels to mobilise the people for a vigorous campaign against the government.

The JI leader said that government was trying to rollback the 18th Amendment according to the condition of IMF to deprive the provinces of their autonomy. “Our country is actually run by IMF as its employees have been appointed on key posts,” he added.

Mr Khan said that no mega development project was launched by the government and the housing scheme was also a fraud just to deceive the poor. He also criticised the provincial government for its failure to resolve the issues of doctors and said that health minister should immediately resign and a case under terrorism law should be registered against him.

He said that JI would not let the government to privatise the public sector hospitals and would extend full cooperation to the doctors for acceptance of their genuine demands. He said that it would be better for Imran Khan and his cabinet members to step down at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2019