The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Sindh President Dr Mumtaz Memon on Tuesday criticising the attitude of rulers towards taking on the sensitive issue of price hike said instead of hollow slogans, firm and serious efforts were needed to resolve this issue.
He said after skyrocketing of oil prices, the sugar crisis hit hard the nation, but the rulers turned blind eye to that grim issue and avoided taking solid steps against the Oil Companies Advisory Committee or owners of the sugar mills. He said the people had been crying since long against unprecedented hike in the prices of oil and sugar, but their wails went unheard.
Dr Memon said after the passage of long time, now, it seemed as if the government were taking notice of the hike of oil and sugar prices, "but just issuing empty statements tantamount to rubbing salt on wounds of poor masses". He said that instead of high-pitching statements and slogans, serious and solid steps were needed to take on the merciless profiteers and hoarders in oil and sugar sectors.
Sindh Jamaat-i-Islami chief further said that not only prices of oil and sugar were on the run, but rates of wheat flour, cocking oil, pulses, meat, milk, medicines and other commodities were also going beyond the reach of common man. He said the profiteers and hoarders cartels were the enemy of the nation and country and deserve a harsh action.
He said an impartial probe be ordered into that sensitive issue to take culprits to the task. He said the price hike of wheat flour and sugar was an ominous sign for an agricultural country like Pakistan and warranted immediate concern of the policymakers.
Dr Memon said the corrupt elements backing the profiteers and hoarders should be exposed and made accountable. He said the people had pinned high hopes to the economic expert Prime Minister but sadly the prices of petrol, diesel, wheat flour, sugar and other daily-use items soared to unprecedented high limits during his rule.
Dr Memon alleged that rulers, instead of providing relief to the people of Pakistan, were busy in safeguarding the interests of the foreign institutions like World Bank and IMF.
He demanded of the government to have a mercy on the poor masses and provide them with some breathing space by bringing down the price of wheat flour, fuel, sugar and other daily-use commodities.
Meanwhile, JI Sindh Naib Amirs Abdul Ghaffar Umar, Mumtaz Sahito, Rashid Naseem and Abdul Hafeez Bijarani, in a joint statement slated Rs 25 per bag raise in price of cement and termed it a cruel joke with the poor masses. They said the hike in cement prices would directly affect the construction industry, render jobless hundreds and thousands of daily-wage labours and hit hard their families. He said the costly cement would also turn sour the dream of people of having their own roofs over their heads.
They said that after the unprecedented hike in the price of oil, wheat flour and sugar, rising rates of cement was another slap on the face of poor people.
They charged that the ruling class was bent to snatch the last morsel from the mouth of the poverty-stricken people of Pakistan. They demanded that the rulers should vacate their chairs, voluntarily, so that people-friendly quarters could run the affairs of this country.