HYDERABAD: Exp­res­sing resolve that the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) would actively participate in local government (LG) elections, JI naib emir Liaquat Baloch has urged party activists to make preparations and disseminate this message to everyone.

He said that skyrocketing tariffs of gas, electricity and petroleum products and cruel power loadshedding had destroyed the national economy while it was almost impossible for people to lead their lives in such tough conditions.

He said wheat flour, sugar, pulses, rice, vegetables and fruits had gone out of reach of the common man because of increasing and all-time high food inflation.

“Abject poverty is not destined to us; it is an utter repercussion of our blunders as people send extremely wicked and dishonest feudal lords and swindlers to assemblies by electing them unfairly in all elections,” he said while addressing a well-attended convention of JI’s lower Sindh activists held at Markaz Tableegh-i-Islam, Makki Shah Road, on Monday night.

Earlier, after reviewing poor civic conditions in Hyderabad district and issues being faced by people, Mr Baloch stressed on evolving a comprehensive strategy to grapple with them.

He said the entire system encompassing health, education and local government had fallen prey to mega corruption and asked activists to understand importance of their votes and elect those people who longed for imposing a transparent system based on Quran and Sunnah.

He said JI activists served the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic and the entire nation commended their services.

Relief goods including ration worth over Rs1.5 billion were distributed among needy people during the unprecedented situation in the country, he added.

He said that if the JI won elections, it would make the country a welfare state and deliver.

Those leaders who atte­nded the meeting inclu­ded Abdul Waheed Qureshi, Hafiz Tahir Majeed, Hassan Rashid, Dr Saifur Rehman and others.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2020