KARACHI, March 10: The consequences of the rulers’ policies are fraught with dangers. Their five-year rule despite tall claims of improving the economy has brought unprecedented hardships to the common man due to price spirals, increasing poverty and unemployment.

This was the consensus of speakers at the women’s protest rally organized by the Jamaat-i-Islami (Women Wing) Karachi on Thursday outside the Karachi Press Club against poverty, unemployment, price-hike, and spread of obscenity under government patronage.

The rally was addressed by Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, Nasrullah Shajji, Maulana Abdul Rauf and Abdul Rashid. Participants were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans of anti-people and anti-secular policies of the government.

Referring to the secular policies of the government, Dr Mairaj-ul-Huda Siddiqui, the JI Karachi chief said Gen Pervez Musharraf’s rule had put the country at stake as the entire country was in the grip of crises.

He criticized the attitude of making fun of Islamic tenets, and said the military rulers had turned the country into an American colony.

Referring to the claims of improving the country’s economy, he asked if the economy had improved then why were people committing suicide. The JI leader pointed out that during five years, petroleum prices were increased 47 times, which had exposed the tall claims of economic prosperity.

He said people were fed up with the regime and the “million march of 20th” would be its manifestation when people would prove to the rulers that the country belonged to slaves of the Prophet (SAW) and not to the US.

Mr Shaji, MMA’s deputy parliamentary party leader in the Sindh Assembly, said the rulers were using the army in Wana and Balochistan operations, while negotiations were being held with the Indian government.