LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has asked the prime minister to compare the facilities available to the people of European countries with those for the people of Pakistan before linking inflation in the country to the west.

“The prime minister has not presented the full picture in his address to the nation. He twisted the fact as he did in every speech. The fact is that the prices of food commodities are less even in Afghanistan as compared to our country. Inflation and unemployment rates are higher in Pakistan as compared to the region,” he said while addressing a meeting of the central leadership at Mansoora on Wednesday.

The PTI, he said, performed so badly in three years that it even disappointed its supporters and “backers”. The government boat was sinking and the rulers were confused, he added.

The JI chief announced that it would organise a march of unemployed youth towards Islamabad on Nov 28. The march had to be held on Oct 31 but postponed due to the political situation emerged after the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan sit-in.

The meeting decided that the JI movement against skyrocketing inflation, tsunami of unemployment and anti-people policies of the PTI would further expedite in coming days. The JI chief said the rulers should go home if they could not provide justice to the people.

Common voices: Apart from political forces, general public was more dismayed at the package which had missed operational details.

“Even if Rs130 billion package is taken as true, how would it get to the people,” wonders Akram Hussain of Gulberg.

The PM said that flour, ghee and pulses’ prices would be reduced by 30 per cent under the package. It should have been clarified by the prime minister in his speech how would it reach the intended target? If it is through Utility Stores, how would government ensure that only 20 million those people who buy these items and not general public? The speech was long on oft-repeated causes of three-year hyper inflation, unemployment and worsening poverty and short on details of the package, he says.

“It was rather a warning of what is coming our way,” claims Muhammad Afzal of Shah Jamal. We stand forewarned on oil prices, gas supply crisis and lectured how lucky we are when compared with other regional countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Central Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Rs120 billion relief package to some 20 million families spoke volumes for his sympathies and love for the poor population in the country. Reacting to the prime minister’s address to the nation, Mr Chaudhry said the relief package would benefit 130 million people in the country.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2021