LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded of the government to immediately resume work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and ensure its completion without further delay.
Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Thursday, he highlighted the shifting regional dynamics in the wake of the Iran-Israel war. He noted that India refrained from supporting Tehran, while Pakistan maintained a principled position.
“The time has come for Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Türkiye to form a regional defense alliance,” he urged, adding that this bloc should also include China and Russia to counter unilateral US hegemony and establish a powerful global front.
The JI leader called for investigations into massive financial irregularities uncovered in Punjab government’s audit reports and criticized the controversial cycle of sugar exports followed by imports. He said Sharif family is launching schemes only for personal publicity at the expense of public tax money. “The uncle-niece duo continues to deceive the nation in the name of progress,” he said.
Rehman demanded reduction in the interest rate this year, with complete elimination next year. He urged that electricity tariffs be rationalized based on actual production costs and called for transparency regarding progress on dismantling exploitative IPP agreements. He stressed that no duties should be imposed on solar panels.
“The rulers have ruined the agricultural sector, and the Punjab government bears the biggest responsibility. While small farmers are suffering, the elite enjoy unjustified privileges,” he stated. He demanded that taxes be lifted from salaried individuals and imposed on feudal. He said the education sector is in shambles, with 29.2 million children out of school, despite tall claims of an education emergency by the Prime Minister.
Rehman praised Iran for its firm resistance against Israeli and American aggression and lauded the unity of the Iranian people in defending their sovereignty. “Despite full U.S. backing, Hamas and Iran have exposed and challenged Israeli power. Like the Iranians, the Pakistanis too have united in the face of external threats,” he said.
He recalled how Pakistan humbled India and earned global recognition. “Now our rulers must abandon the fear of America and start work on IP Gas Project.”
He expressed deep regret that neither the government nor opposition parties in Pakistan speak out against the U.S. He strongly condemned the government’s recommendation of Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it a betrayal of national dignity. “This nomination must be withdrawn immediately,” he asserted.
Reaffirming JI’s position on Kashmir, he said, “There can be no talks with India - with or without Trump’s mediation - without the right to self-determination for Kashmiris.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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