“Farmers make up an important segment of the country’s population and contribute greatly to the economy. The government cannot ignore them,” said Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq on Sunday.
He was addressing a farmers’ convention in Khanewal. The JI chief said the government should make amends with farmers or risk an uprising like that in France between 1789 and 1799.
“The government cheated farmers when buying cotton and rice. Now they will do the same thing in the purchase of wheat,” he said.
“If the government fails to address farmers’ concerns during the procurement season, we will not hesitate from taking a protest rally to the capital,” he said. “A small fraction of the country’s population cannot oppress the majority.”
He said the JI was a welfare party. “We hope to provide free healthcare and introduce a uniform education system that will allow every child access to quality education,” he said. He said a JI segment would subsidise rice and tea for people who earned less than Rs30,000 every month.
“We will also pay the clerics of 3 million mosques in Pakistan,” he said. He said Muttahidda Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) reign of terror in Karachi must end.Haq said an attack on Saudi Arabia would be considered as an attack on Pakistan. “Turkey and Pakistan should work to resolve tensions between Yeman and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “No one will be allowed to threaten Saudia Arabia.” The JI chief said more dams should be constructed to address water shortage. He said the Kalabagh dam dispute should be resolved as soon as possible. He said the government should give interest-free loans to farmers.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 6th, 2015.
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