TIMERGARA/HARIPUR: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq said here on Thursday that national economy was on the ventilator as people lost trust in the government owing to imposition of IMF policies.

Addressing a prize distribution function after a quiz competition at Timergara rest house, he alleged that coronavirus had reached the country owing to negligence and incompetency of the government.

The function was also addressed by JI youth wing central president Zubair Ahmad Gondal, JI district emir Izazul Mulk, former MNA Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former provincial minister Muzafar Syed and others.

Sirajul Haq said that youth were the real asset of the country and they should play active role in decision making process. He said that the country was not made a real Islamic welfare state during the last 72 years.

He said that setting up of ‘Langar Khanas’ instead of industries was not development.

He said his party had launched protest movement against the government for its failure to control price hike, inflation and unemployment.

He asked workers to take active parts in the protest.

The JI chief also addressed a Khatm-i-Bukhari function at a local seminary in Khazana and urged the government to resolve the issue of Jamia Hifsa Islamabad wisely to avert any untoward incident.

He said that religious seminaries were the forts of Islam as they played a vital role in spreading the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.

In Haripur, JI provincial secretary general Abdul Waseh told a gathering that end to interest-based system was conditional to implementation of Islamic law in the country.

He was addressing the students and party workers at MadressaTadreesul Islam in Khalabat Township on Thursday.

He said that Pakistan came into being in the name of Islam but the rulers encouraged the interest-based system in the country. He added that JI would continue struggle for eradication of usury and enforcement of Islamic law.

The JI leader urged the philanthropists to support the seminaries financially and morally for the better future and their children.

JI district chief Ghazan Iqbal Khan, Javed Iqbal and Tahir Atiq Sidiki also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier the JI leaders visited the residence of late Advocate Syed Wajid Shah in Sikandarpur and condoled his death with his family members.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2020