- Sirajul Haq says rulers protecting their interests
LAHORE: Expressing deep concern over the deteriorating economic condition of the country and the alarming increase in debt, the central shura of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has called upon the government to drastically cut down its expenditure and introduce tax reforms to generate more funds.
A resolution adopted by the JI central consultative body deplored that the government was securing more loans to pay off the previous loans while the value of the rupee had been drastically cut and the budget and trade deficits were increasing. The shura also called for making appointments against important posts strictly on merit and making the accountability process transparent and quick.
It also demanded building dams to increase water storage capacity in order to overcome water shortage, besides taking up the issue of India’s water aggression at the international level.
The shura stressed that sensitive national assets such as the airports and the motorway should not be placed on lease to secure more loans. Honest efforts should be made to revive the PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills and such other institutions, and these should not be sold out on throwaway prices, it added.
The shura noted that total loan of the country in December 2017 had risen to Rs24 trillion, while the government had sold Sukuk and Euro bonds valuing $2.5 billion during the last a few days and were still planning to sell more bonds in the world market.
It suggested that the tax net should be widened and net income over and above Rs600,000 per annum should be taxed. The tax rate should be lowered to bring a maximum number of people under the net and the basic philosophy of the taxation policy should be to tax the wealthy and to spend on the welfare of the low-income people.
This would require maximum dependence on direct taxes and the system of withholding taxes should be abandoned, it said.
The shura also called for reviewing the free trade agreements with different countries as they were running in losses. It also suggested discouraging unnecessary imports and for preparing a national agenda to expand exports. It stressed that all genuine refunds of the exporters should be immediately released.
It also called for introducing modern techniques in agriculture to raise farm produce as it could help increase exports.
Furthermore, JI chief Senator Sirajul Haq has said that the sole objective of the rulers’ politics is to protect the interests of the feudal lords and had the least respect for the Constitution and law.
Addressing the advisory council of the JI Lahore at a local hotel, he said that the country’s politics was in the control of the oppressive feudal lords and corrupt capitalists, who framed policies only to serve their interests against the interests of the general public.
However, he was confident that in the 2018 elections, the MMA would emerge as a big political force. He urged the people to lend their support to the religious alliance to throw off the plunderers and mafias.
The JI chief impressed upon the people not to repeat the past mistakes in the elections. He said that the corrupt politicians were entirely responsible for the problems facing the country and the nation.
Siraj said that the parties and individuals involved in corruption were, in fact, playing with the destiny of the nation. “These people had divided the nation on ethnic, regional and sectarian grounds only to serve their interests,” he added.
On the other hand, he said, the JI was striving to unite the masses by raising them above petty differences to able to meet the challenges being thrown by India and other enemies.
Siraj further said that the west and the US were afraid of political Islam and were blaming the Muslims for terrorism. “At the same time, they were spending billions of dollars to promote western nude culture because of which our minor children are not safe,” he added.
The JI chief said that the country’s rulers were obstructing the Islamic system because it demanded strict accountability.
The meeting was attended by JI Deputy SecreSecretary-General Iqbal Hasan, JI Lahore chief Zikrullah Mujahid and JI Information Secretary Amirul Azeem.
