KARACHI  -  Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, addressing a protest demon­stration, said Sunday that the government will have to realize the gravity of the situation as it would be leading masses to unimaginable anar­chy and lawlessness. The protest demonstration against electricity tariff hike was held at North Na­zimabad area of Karachi, here on Sunday. A large number of area residents, including women and children participated in the protest. 

Protesters, carrying placards and banners, chant­ed slogans against the K-Electric and the previous and incumbent regimes. Besides the JI workers, people belonging to all walks of life participated in the protest. JI Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while addressing the protesters said all the luxuries and subsidiaries for the elite class, whereas inflation, petrol bombshells and taxes for common people; it is a flawed policy and it won’t work. He said that the caretaker prime minister, Mr Kakar, needs to pack up if he can increase the prices of electricity and fuel but can’t reduce them. 

The JI leader said that 35 million Karachiites have been recording their peaceful protest for several days and the rulers are playing the role of just silent spec­tators, instead of taking concrete actions. Lambasting the ruling elite class, he said that 90 percent of the class never uses fuel on their own expense and bu­reaucrats are also a part of this class. On the occasion, he demanded of the government to bring the feudal lords, generals and other influential people into the tax net. Just four percent feudal lords have clutched 40 percent of the agricultural land in the country, whereas the rulers have declared them tax free. 

The tax submission by the agricultural land to the national exchequer was Rs4 billion as com­pared to Rs300 billion by the salaried class, he said, adding that this kind of injustice will push the country to a horrible scenario. Don’t dare to in­crease the fuel prices as it is reportedly being dis­cussed, he warned Kakar. Talking about the politi­cal horizon, he said that only the JI has been active in the political arena and all other parties are inac­tive in this regard. However, he said, the JI will play it’s due role for the masses. He said that apart from the strike the JI will also call for a sit-in protest, whereas the party has also been consulting with stakeholders over a call against payment of elec­tricity bills. The JI leader also lambasted “white collar criminals” for threatening people through video statements. He further said that Karachiites don’t want to engage with poor employees of the company. However, he said, the government and the KE will be responsible for any untoward inci­dent. JI leader Syed Wajihul Hassan also addressed the protest demonstration and said that the JI stands with the masses against unjust electricity bills. There is no logic in keeping all the perks and privileges for high ranked civil and armed officers and all the financial burden on poor people.