Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has lambasted the government over up to 106 per cent increase in the rate of petroleum development levy.
Addressing a leadership training workshop of the general council of the National Labour Federation at Mansoora, he demanded of the government to immediately withdraw the tax to provide relief to the people.
He said the prices of the petroleum products witnessed a record decline in the international market but the government instead of passing the relief to the public imposed heavy levy on the POL products. He said it had been expected that the petroleum prices went down by Rs 20 per liter after decrease in international prices. But, he regretted, the rulers took it as an opportunity to earn Rs 10 billion per month instead of providing relief to already inflation hit people.
He said labourers were the main victims of the government policy as they were unable to meet their both ends in the prevailing situation. The earning opportunities, he said, vanished from the market and thousands lost their jobs in past few months.
Talking about the dismal condition of women laborers at workplaces, he lamented the government failed to provide protection to them. Women workers, he added, were underpaid and their duty timing was not fixed.
He said lack of education facilities for girls in different areas were also major issue. A literate mother, he said, paid a key role in education of a family-the basic unit of the society. He highlighted the need for establishing women universities in all major cities.
He said strict laws should be made to ensure protection and safety of the woman in the society. He said Islam provide guarantee to the protection of women rights.
Meanwhile, JI Deputy Chief Liaqat Baloch presided over a meeting of the committee of Tehreek-e-Riast-e-Madina of Milli Yakjehti Council at Mansoora.
Allama Syed Saqib Akbar, Pir Haroon Gilani, Allama Arif Naqvi, Asadullah Bhutto and other participated the meeting. A decision was made to launch a countrywide movement to turn the country a Madina like state.
