HYDERABAD: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq has said that those who had destroyed the national economy are again struggling to rule over the country.

“Even Bangladesh and Afghanistan have surpassed Pakistan in economic growth and their currencies have improved than our rupee,” he observed while addressing his party’s public meeting in Latifabad on Friday evening.

While criticising Pakistan Peoples Party’s rule on Sindh and its desperation to see Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari becoming prime minister, the JI chief remarked: “Bilawal doesn’t have a vision”.

He noted that conditions in Sindh remained had become worst-ever. Karachi-Hyderabad section of motorway has fallen prey to cuts (commission) and its Sukkur-Hyderabad section to corruption, according to him.

Alluding to PPP’s, General Musharraf’s and PTI’s rule, he quipped: “People remember slogans of Roti, Kapra Aur Makan, Sab Say Pehlay Pakistan and Riyasat-i-Medina, and deplored that these people continuously hoodwinked the masses and made a mockery of Pakistan in world. “Begging bowl has become identity of our economy,” he remarked, and warned that if PPP or PML-N were given yet another chance to rule, then Pakistan would vanish within a century. He said neither NAB nor courts could hold thieves accountable.

He said that it would be meaningless even if billions of rupees were recovered from some ministers, or there were mega corruption scandals; “these corrupt people go unpunished and then enter electoral scene portraying themselves as innocent”.

Sirajul Haq said that this public meeting, largely attended by youths, showed that Hyderabad was changing and people wanted ‘change’.

He wondered how those who looted this city were now seeking vote again. These people could not build roads and failed to drain out filthy water for roads and houses, he added.

He said Hyderabad was the fourth biggest city of Pakistan; people used to keenly visit Rani Bagh; Hyderabad’s cricket stadium used to host international cricket matches; but now the city was facing decay and its bangle industry stood destroyed.

He asked whether Hyderabad got a university or a hospital. Neither was an engineering or medical college given to Hyderabad. Youths from the city were moving to Karachi in search of employment, he regretted, and held PPP and its allies responsible for this poor state of affairs. He said that former rulers’ assets had increased while people were burdened with increased taxes. While electricity and gas loadshedding was being increased, inflated bills were issued to consumers, he observed.

The JI leader said that Pakistan had been ruled by PML-N for 25 years and Sindh by PPP for 15 years. “And now an individual who recently returned from London is trying to seek an opportunity again. Alluding to Nawaz Sharif, he said whether this man had conquered Kashmir that he was seeking a fourth term in the PM office.

He noted that neither lawlessness ended nor kidnapping for ransom cases registered a decline at any stage over the last 15 years.

He also pointed out that growers’ issues were not being resolved, and regretted that nobody was paying attention to enhancement of per acre yield. Hyderabad’s industrial sector was facing destruction and industrial activities were badly affected, he said, adding that the city’s industrial area needed expansion.

JI’s Naib Emir Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Sindh Emir Mohammad Hussain Mahenti, Hyderabad District Emir Aqeel Ahmed Khan and other leaders also spoke.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024

To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.