KARACHI: Central Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday said that a powerful nexus of feudal, land lords, the military and civil bureaucracy has taken control of the fate of Pakistan’s 250 million people, while the common citizen is left without representation or protection.
Addressing one-day family training camps organised by the JI at Jamia Masjid Rabia Rehman in Maripur (District Keamari) and Jamia Millia Masjid in Malir (District Airport), he said these forces protect each other’s interests, whereas no one looks after the people.
He said the current rulers and the prime minister came to power through “Form 47”, alleging that the establishment imposed what he termed the worst available political elements on Karachi and other parts of Sindh. He described the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as a party dominated by around 40 major feudal lords, operating on the basis of inheritance and dynasty.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the JI has consistently rejected politics based on ethnicity or prejudice. “We want to rid the country of the feudal and landlord system and the feudal mindset of the PPP,” he said, urging his party workers to intensify door-to-door outreach.
Highlighting that 65 percent of Pakistan’s population comprises youth, he called on workers to engage young people in the movement, with elders providing guidance and patronage. He stressed the need to activate and strengthen public committees, confront challenges with resilience, and spread the message of Islam.
He said the JI aims not only to win elections but also to protect the vote by building a strong public force that ensures no one can steal the people’s mandate.
Speaking on Palestine, he said that Pakistan, like the rest of the Muslim world, should not send its army to Gaza. He warned that if, under what he termed a Trump plan, the army were sent to Gaza, it would be a decision against the country and the armed forces and would be strongly resisted. “Deception in the name of peace will not work,” he added.
Commenting on the recent auction of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), he said the national carrier—once a source of pride and among the world’s top airlines, which had even trained airlines from China, the UAE, and other countries—was destroyed due to corruption, incompetence, and favoritism by the ruling elite.
He questioned why PIA was sold at a time when it had reportedly contributed positively to the national exchequer over the past six months. “We are not concerned about who bought it; we want to know why it was sold,” he said, adding that PPP, PML-N, and PTI should all be held accountable for failing to improve the airline.
He said ruling parties, including PPP and PML-N, continue to seek support from the military and establishment, and asked whether the armed forces prefer “thieves and plunderers”. “We will not come to power through conspiracies,” he said. “We will come to power through open, public struggle, not underground maneuvers.”
Referring to protests in Punjab against the Local Government Act, he said feudal lords and landlords oppose local government elections and the transfer of powers. He added that this mindset prevails across all provinces, where the ruling class considers itself rulers and the nation its servants.
He warned that oppression divides society and that chaos, anarchy, and disorder are embedded in the current system. If people continue to be abandoned, he cautioned, unrest and turmoil will intensify.
Hafiz Naeem said following what he described as historic participation of millions of men and women at the “Change the System” public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore, Jamaat-e-Islami has launched a renewed movement with fresh determination. He added that international delegates attending the event’s international session witnessed and praised the party’s organisational strength and unity.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami is not merely a political party but an ideological movement with a universal vision, striving for the establishment of Islam. He stressed that Islam provides clear guidance on ethics, society, and all aspects of life, and that the system cannot be corrected without the practical implementation of religion.
While people are free to follow their respective schools of thought, he said no one should declare others unbelievers, adding that Islamic movements seek change through the masses themselves.
Recalling the Objectives Resolution—later made part of the Constitution—he said it clearly states that sovereignty belongs solely to Allah. He alleged that secular and liberal elements oppose this principle and seek to strengthen what he termed a “taghut” (un-Islamic) system.
He concluded by saying that a specific ruling class uses bureaucracy to impose itself on the country and exploit the people, and that this system of oppression and exploitation is the root cause of all national problems and must be uprooted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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