Siraj demands of government to give relief to masses under IMF assistance

Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, Senator Sirajul Haq, has demanded the government to provide relief to its masses, as IMF announced relief in the repayment of loans.

Sirajul Haq said that interest or usury was the main hurdle in the development and urged the government to immediately announce its abolition. In this respect, he noted that the western countries had not made a token cut in interest but had lowered it to zero.

He said that despite repeated demands, the governments had not so far arranged free corona tests due to which there were no idea of the actual corona cases in the country. How can a poor man who did not have two times' meals, pay some Rs 8000 for this test, he asked.

Sirajul Haq said that in China, Coronavirus had broken out suddenly whereas in Pakistan, it had moved at snail pace but the government remained asleep and the virus got time to get roots. The JI chief held the World Health Organization (WHO) responsible for large scale deaths due to corona. He said as soon the virus broke out in China, it was WHO's responsibility to prepare its vaccine but that was not done.

He said the army of ministers and advisors was showing its talent on the tweeter and the government itself was violating its SOPs aimed at controlling the Coronavirus. He said that compelling women folk to leave their homes to receive Rs 12,000 only was making a mockery of their poverty.

Condemning the police action against the doctors, the JI chief said the doctors were the real tigers in the present situation. He said the doctors' demands were justified and the government should immediately arrange safety kits for them instead of causing confrontation between different institutions.

The government, he said, did not have any date of the daily wage earners, so how could it help them. Besides, he said, private schools and colleges besides Madrissahs were lying closed, and the government should pay the salaries of their teachers. Sirajul Haq also requested the people to strictly follow the advice being given by the doctors.

He said the broad guidelines which had been given at the world level now to control the virus had been given by the Noble Prophet (pbuh) more than fourteen hundred years ago. Islam, he said, had laid so much stress on cleanliness. For instance, making ablution for prayers was mandatory and it resulted not only in physical and outward cleanliness but also added to spiritual advancement.

Highlighting the role played by the Ulema in creating awareness about the virus, the JI chief said the Ulema had played an important role in this regard and had utilized their mosques and the pulpit to convince the people for strict adherence to the protective measures being announced by the government.

Sirajul Haq however said that Coronavirus was a test from Almighty Allah and added that human beings had themselves invited divine wrath. He said the human beings had made nuclear and hydrogen bombs, destroyed crops and orchards through chemicals, and prepared such poisonous seeds which were causing the deaths of millions of people.

He said "the only way to save ourselves from the calamity was to faithfully follow the Islamic teachings in every walk of life, to root out injustice and tyranny from the earth and lead our lives in accordance with the system given by Islam."