The challenge of terrorism could not be met only by force: Senator Sirajul Haq

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan,  Senator Sirajul Haq, has said that the challenge of  terrorism could not be met only by force as poverty, unemployment and other problems being faced by the common man must be resolved to wipe it out.

In a message on the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, he said that Pakistan was facing serious internal and foreign challenges. He said the general public was fed up with the internal battles of the elite class and wanted the solution of its problems. The youth was facing unemployment and was worried about their future.

The JI chief said that the rulers must give high priority to the youth and warned that if necessary resources were not allocated for the youth and respectable means of earnings were not created for them, the country would be heading towards anarchy.

Sirajul Haq said that the country’s banks were granting heavy loans to unscrupulous people who swallowed this money on different excuses and with impunity. The need of the hour was that interest free loans be given to the educated, skilled and semi skilled youth enabling them to stand on their own feet, and added that the problem of unemployment could not be solved merely by providing government jobs.

He further said that the industrial development in the country had stopped due to energy crisis which was also causing load shedding, adding to the difficulties of the masses.

Sirajul Haq said that the gene of price hike had been out before the Ramadan and was controlling the markets. He said it was the responsibility of the administration to kick out this gene and stop profiteering by the traders.

Meanwhile, Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq, has condemned the levy of additional taxes besides big increase in the existing taxes on poultry and said this would make chicken out of the masses reach.

In a statement here on Thursday, he said that the burden of these taxes would fall on the general public and the prices of mutton and beef would also rise. He called for withdrawal of the new taxes and reducing the existing taxes on poultry in the public interest.

The JI chief said that the mutton and beef prices were already high due to which the common man could not even think of having these. He said that poultry had been comparatively cheaper and the masses  could afford it but the new taxes would raise its prices greatly.

Sirajul Haq said that  in the field of agriculture, poultry was the most organized sector and was meeting 40 per cent of meat requirements in the country. Jobs of more than 1.8 million people were linked with this sector. He said that instead of creating new job opportunities for the people, the government was curtailing the existing jobs due to its wrong and anti-people policies.

He said that in the neighbouring countries, poultry feed was exempt from sales tax due to which chicken was cheaper there as compared to Pakistan.