KARACHI, March 4: Speakers at a rally organised against rising prices called upon the government to step down from power as it had miserably failed to control the price hike.

In fact, the government itself was indulging and promoting a price hike by raising fuel prices, they claimed.

The rally organised by the All Parties Action Committee Sindh was held at the Regal Chowk after Friday prayers. The constituent parties of the action committee include the PML (N), Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Pakistan Jahmoori Party, and the Mohajir Qaumi Movement.

Speaking on the occasion, Mohammad Ali Mehanti said in the past, shopkeepers and businessmen used to indulge in increasing prices of essential commodities, but it was the present government now, which was making life miserable for the common man through a conspiracy.

The government should stop the rising fuel prices and freeze the prices of gas and electricity, he demanded. He said the prices of everyday commodities were sky-rocketing and had gone beyond the reach of the common man. Mr Mehanti questioned the rationale behind the manifold raise in salaries of ministers when the salary of the common man had not been addressed to.

He called upon the government to withdraw the raise in the ministers' salaries, and said that in a country where 40 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line the raise seemed shameful.

The JI leader warned of a countrywide movement by the All Parties Action Committee against the government if the price hike was not withdrawn. He said the present situation had become so bad that obtaining a one time meal had become difficult for the common man.

Mukhtar Khokhar of the Awami Tehreek said the government had even not spared milk prices, which were continuously rising. On the hand, an army of ministers was being built to gain support.

He said the government cannot buy people of the city as they were still politically alive. Representing the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, Qazi Ahmed Noorani, said the blind rulers were bent upon destroying the fabric of the country just to appease the US.

"The government is unmoved even if people are resorting to suicides in the face of rising prices of flour, milk and other essential commodities," said Mr Noorani. Aslam Ghouri, also of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, said it was shameful that ministers were trading allegations of corruption against each other.

He said the economic situation was compelling the common man to resort to suicide, as he was failing to provide for his family. The member of Sindh Assembly, Hameedullah Khan, alleged the government of snatching away livelihood from the poor man by pursuing policies of privatisation.

He said people could not live through this period when the government was bent upon making life miserable for them, calling upon the government to control the price hike otherwise step down from power. Basharat Mirza of the Pakistan Jahmoori Party said the present government had failed on every front.

He said, "The price of fuel in the international market is going down, but our government is creating an artificial hike to reap the profits." He remarked that the country's democratic forces would have to struggle to get rid of the present government.

Mairajul Huda Siddiqui of the MMA asked that in a country where 40 per cent of the population lived in poverty, how could its prime minister be content by only citing the 100 index of the Karachi Stock Exchange.

He urged the public to participate in the million march being organised by the MMA on March 20 in Karachi. The march would be taken out from the Noorani Chowk to Tower. Others who spoke on the occasion included Zafar Taqi Rizvi, of the Pakistan National Alliance, Aslam Mujahid and Saleem Abdi of the JUI.