LOWER DIR: Owing to growing Covid-19 cases in the country, Jamaat-i-Islami on Sunday announced to postpone its scheduled public rallies for two weeks in the best public interest.

The announcement was made by JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq while addressing a big public rally here at Timergara Rest House Ground, which was attended by party workers and area elders from all parts of the district.

The JI chief criticised the government for its flawed policies on all fronts. He alleged that leaders of Pakistan Democratic Movement and PTI were all the agents of the World Bank, IMF and America. He said his party would never bow before America or any other world power for forming a government in Pakistan.

Senator Haq said the state institutions should avoid unnecessary backing of the PTI government. He said mafias had surrounded Prime Minister Imran Khan as their representatives could be seen standing on his left and right.

Siraj urges institutions to avoid unnecessary backing of government

He claimed that JI was the only political party that could provide an honest and pious leadership to the nation. He added that the government ministers were also disappointed with its delivery system.

Mr Haq said that instead of providing employment to jobless youth the government had recently sacked 4,500 employees of Pakistan Steel Mills.

About the PDM agitation, he said Sindh was being governed by PPP where it had failed to provide even basic facilities to masses. He said the nation had tested PML-N, PPP and PTI, but all of them had disappointed the masses.

Mr Haq said his party would cut by 50 per cent the prices of fuel, medicines, food, gas and electricity if it came to power. He said poor patients would be provided with free medical care throughout the country.

He alleged that the government was mishandling the Covid-19 pandemic as it was neither in favour of lockdown nor could implement the SOPs at public places. He described as unwise the decision about closure of educational institutions in the country.

He said the PTI government had not been taking the opposition into confidence before key decisions regarding the Kashmir issue, Covid, interior and foreign policies.

Earlier, party’s provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan told the gathering that the JI lawmakers in the past had better represented the people of Dir. It was JI’s first public gathering in Timergara after 2018 polls. It was also addressed by Asif Luqman Qazi, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Inayatullah Khan and district chief Izazul Mulk.

TEACHERS BOYCOTT: Primary schoolteachers in Lower Dir on Sunday boycotted the ongoing continuous development training under the Provincial Institute of Teacher Education and Directorate of Curriculum and Teacher Education, sources said.

They said All Primary Teachers Association had given the boycott call against the education department for not changing the schedule of training sessions. The protesting teachers threatened to continue their boycott if their demand was not accepted.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2020