RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq has said that shutter down strike will be observed across the country on Saturday (today), ARY News reported.
While addressing the youth convention in Rawalpindi, Sirajul Haq appealed to the nation to make the countrywide strike successful to register their protest against the inflation and inflated electricity bills.
He criticised the rulers for pushing the country into a severe crisis and making its economy and politics dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Related: Petroleum dealers threaten nationwide strike
The JI Ameer criticised the caretaker premier for seeking prior permission from the IMF to provide a relief to the nation. He added that the caretaker premier is apparently protecting the interests of the IMF. Sirajul Haq said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties have made Pakistani nation a slave of the IMF.
Haq said that they won’t accept the slavery of the IMF.
Earlier, the JI Secretary Genral Ameerul Azeem said that a peaceful shutter down strike will be observed on September 2 (today). He said that JI will announce its next strategy if the government fails to take back the hike in the electricity tariff.
Related: Karachi traders divided on JI’s Sept 2 countrywide strike
On August 27, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had decided to hold a countrywide strike on September 2 against increase in electricity prices amid mounting public outcry.
In a statement, JI spokesperson Qaiser Shareef said that committees have been constituted for a countrywide strike on September 2 against increase in electricity prices.
Qaiser Shareef further said that peaceful protest against inflation will continue for the next five days.
On August 31, the business community of Lahore announced observing a shutter down strike on September 2 (Saturday) against the inflated electricity bills and rising inflation.
Mujahid Maqsood Butt – President of Traders Association – said that markets across Lahore will remain closed on Saturday (September 2) in protest against inflated electricity bills and rising inflation in the country.