Pakistan can't afford another operation: JI chief

• Jamaat-e-Islami to stage sit-in in Islamabad on July 26.
• "Situation of peace in country has worsened," Rahman says.
• He says there was no terrorism in the country before 2001.

PESHAWAR: Warning against any fresh military operation, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rahman Sunday asked the government to refrain from pushing the country towards a new blind war.

"The country’s affairs must be managed in accordance with the whims and wishes of the masses as without peace neither politics nor business will work," the JI chief told the traders’ representatives, reported The News.

Rahman said that the establishment, rulers, and the bureaucracy should confess their failure and mend their ways.

"The JI has a history of struggle against foreign intervention as the country has always suffered the consequences of its love for the US," he added.

He said that due to the US war in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s economy suffered a loss of $200 billion and 100,000 people died during the so-called war on terror.

"The situation of peace in the country has worsened and the country is passing through a paradox where nobody knows who stands with whom," the JI chief remarked.

Flanked by provincial president of the party Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, deputy chief Dr Ataur Rahman and traders' representatives, the JI chief said that Pakistan had a strong and historical relationship with Afghanistan.

"Both the countries have rendered great sacrifices during the past four decades," he said, adding that the tense relationship between the two brother Muslim countries would appease only India, Israel, and the US.

Rahman said that there was no terrorism in the country before 2001. But, a general who surrendered before the US for dollars after just one phone call, pushed the country to the fire of terrorism, he remarked.

"General Musharraf had said that the country would get dollars in return for the war. They got the dollars, but nothing was given to the people," he added.

He said the country’s sensitive air bases, logistic support, and intelligence network were handed over to the US.

Criticising the rulers for the military operations, he said it should be known who installed the "factories" that produce terrorists.

"More terrorists are produced after each military operation. Today, neither the frontiers of the country are safe nor cities. There was great unrest and disappointment among the masses. The disappointed youth was leaving the country in thousands on a daily basis," Rahman maintained.

The JI chief also criticised the cruel taxation in the country. He said that Rs375 billion tax was collected from the salaried class, while the feudal and elite class could deposit only Rs5-6 billion tax.

He stressed that the feudal class should be brought under the tax net.

The JI emir also condemned the unbearable loadshedding and the inflated bills of electricity. He said that Rs28 billion was collected from the masses in the name of capacity charges, which was the worst brutality with the people.

There were a number of Independent Power Producers, which could not produce even a single megawatts of electricity, but they have collected billions of rupees from the poor people of the country, he further said. 

The JI chief demanded a forensic audit of the IPPs and urged the government to make public the agreements made with them. He stressed that the agreements with IPPs should be reviewed. He said that the JI has launched the movement “Haq Do Awam Ko” (give their right to people).

He said that the JI would stage a sit-in in Islamabad on July 26 for which all-out arrangements have been made.