LOWER DIR - Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Senator Sirajul Haq has reiterated his claim that both PTI and PDM are ‘agents’ of the status quo and western powers. Speaking at a rally here on Sunday, he said their only agenda was to serve the interests of their masters. He further said that people of Pakistan had had a bitter experience of the bad governance when these political parties were in power. Siraj added that different mafias were part of these parties who were responsible for bringing them to power by investing huge amounts in their elections. After coming into power, he alleged, these parties would protect the illegal businesses of these mafias. The country, he said, was under control of this vicious circle for decades, but the time had now come to break the shackles of corrupt mafias and status quo parties. The ruling elite, he said, had no interest in the welfare of people as they borrowed money from the international lending agencies only to enslave the nation. “Nobody knows where the billions of dollars borrowed in foreign loans have been spent as people are still starving, inflation has skyrocketed and unemployment is rampant,” JI chief regretted.

Criticising ‘flawed’ policies of the PTI government, Senator Siraj said the party had made tall claims prior to coming to power that it would change destiny of the nation.

From law and order situation to economy and foreign policy, he said, Imran Khan’s government had broken all previous records of ‘bad governance’. 

In the last two and half years, he said, thousands of people had lost their jobs and the inflation had made people’s lives miserable. “Now when people have taken to the streets to send these rulers home, they are trying to take cover under corona,” he alleged.

“Where was corona when the PTI was busy in electioneering in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) at the government expenses?” he asked. He said, seen in this context, the government should allow the PDM to hold rallies in Multan.

The JI chief warned the government to either solve problems of people or get ready to go home. He threatened the government with a long march on Islamabad, if, what he said, the rulers failed to mend their ways. This was the JI’s fourth mass meeting in Lower Dir in continuation with its ongoing campaign against inflation, unemployment and interest-based economy.

A large number of people, holding national and party flags, participated in the rally and shouted slogans against the government policies.