Sit-In to Be Held in Quetta Today Against Inflation, Insecurity and Unemployment: Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman

QUETTA: Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Emir Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman has announced that a protest sit-in will be held in Quetta today against inflation, insecurity, theft, robbery and unemployment.

Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said he was ready to surrender if a case was registered against him. Taking a sarcastic dig at the authorities, he questioned whether those receiving Rs80 billion should not also be held responsible when the owner of a garden was being held accountable for what happens there.

He said protests against inflation were continuing across the country and that highways throughout Balochistan had been blocked on August 7 as part of the protest campaign.

Criticizing the government, Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said rulers were imposing taxes on the public while purchasing aircraft for their own luxuries, whereas poor people were struggling to afford two meals a day.

Speaking about the province’s economic and security situation, he said the closure of border crossings had left millions of people unemployed. He also claimed that citizens were not safe on the province’s highways.

He said maintaining peace and protecting citizens was the government’s responsibility.

Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman said his party would continue to raise its voice against insecurity, inflation, unemployment and what he described as government oppression and coercion.

He revealed that the government had requested that the sit-in be postponed, but said the party had rejected the appeal.

He made it clear that the planned peaceful protest would take place according to schedule and that the sit-in would be held in Quetta at all costs today.