LAHORE: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday announced support for the nationwide shutterdown strike called by Jamaati-Islami for Wednesday (today), and asked party workers to ensure its success.

Presiding over a preparatory meeting for a Khatm-iNabuwat (PBUH) conference, Maulana Fazl said the government has made life increasingly difficult for the common man. Price hikes and taxation reached unbearable levels, he lamented, attributing these to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

`JUI-F fully supports the strike call and workers and business forums of the party should not only participate in it but also make thispeaceful strike a success,` he declared.

Later, Maulana Fazl visited the residence of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to inquire about his health.

According to a party press release, the two leaders held discussions on the current political and economic situation in the country.

Earlier, JI emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Wednesday`s nationwide shutter-down strike will be a decisive move to pressure the government into providing relief to traders and the general public.

Talking to the media during a visit to the party`s Hall Road camp, Mr Rehman urged traders to remain united as solidarity is vital for protecting both their rights and those of the public. He reiterated his commitment toholding the government accountable for the agreement reached following their 14-day sit-in protest.

The JI set up the Hall Road camp as a hub to mobilise traders and the general publicin support of the strike.

During his visit, Mr Rehman met representatives of various trader organisations, who pledged their full support for the JI`s call for a nationwide strike.

The JI emir slammed the government`s newly proposed `trader-friendly [tajir dost]` scheme, branding it as detrimental to traders. He said the government`s plan to impose taxes based on market assess-ments, rather than fair, income-based taxation, is unjust and unacceptable.

Although traders are willing to contribute to broadening the tax base, they strongly reject what they perceive as an unfair and inequitable scheme.

He called upon the ruling elite to rein in their lavish spending and impose taxes on feudallords to boost revenue for the exchequer. He said the JI has already proposed measures to revitalise the economy and safeguard theinterests of traders and the public.

However, he regretted, the government is reluctant to make necessary decisions, and continued to burden the already struggling poor, salaried class, and business community.

To advocate for public relief, Mr Rehman stressedthe importance of a peaceful resistance movement, prompting the JI to announce the strike after consultations with traders. He hinted that JI would reveal its future plans after further discussions with traders, possibly announcing more strikes if the government remains unresponsive.

The JI chief also threw down a challenge to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, asking him to disclose the extent of the Sharif family`s benefits from the national exchequer through capacity charges on theirindependent power plants (IPPs).

He lambasted Mr Sharif for portraying himself as a savior by offering what he described as token relief to the people of Punjab amidst soaring power tariffs. He claimed that the entire country could enjoyreduced electricity costs if the Sharif family and their associates waived the capacity charges they receive from their IPPs.

Mr Rehman reiterated JI`s demand for a countrywide reduction in electricity tariffs and demanded a forensic audit of the IPPs. He appealed to the public to actively participate in making the strike a success.

The JI emir condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, denouncing those who target innocent people based on ethnicity as agents of foreign agendas seeking to destabilise Pakistan. He demanded stringent action against such elements with the involvement of Balochistan`s genuine leadership, and stressed that the government has a responsibility to protect its citizens.