LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced a nationwide protest movement after Ramadan, which will include demonstrations outside governors’ and chief ministers’ residences, followed by a call for a long march.
Addressing a press conference at the conclusion of the party’s three-day central Shura meeting in Mansoorah, he said that convoys from across the country would participate in the movement, with farmers, labourers, students, and the general public joining the struggle for their rights particularly for a reduction in electricity prices and resistance against Independent Power Producers (IPPs). He asserted that the government would be compelled to surrender to public pressure.
He criticized the existing electoral system, stating that governments should be formed based on Form 45, not Form 47.
He also condemned the use of Pakistan’s controversial PECA law against Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mansehra chief, calling it an attack on freedom of expression and demanding his immediate release.
JI Emir criticized mainstream political parties for ignoring public issues such as education, women’s rights, and the growing drug problem in educational institutions. He lamented the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, particularly in the merged tribal districts, where he said terrorists roam freely while the government merely talks about military operations without addressing the root causes of terrorism.
Expressing concern over the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, he stated that thousands of people are missing, and if institutions themselves do not uphold the Constitution and avoid political interference, how can they expect ordinary citizens to abide by the law?
He strongly condemned recent attacks on passenger buses in Balochistan. He demanded that the Baloch people be granted their rightful dues.
The JI leader also criticized the lawlessness in Sindh, describing it as a “dacoit rule” and said that life in Karachi has been made unbearable. He said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) failed to regulate the operations of water tankers and dumpers in Karachi, leading to frequent accidents and loss of lives.
Commenting on the situation in Punjab, he said that the so-called “Kissan Card” was merely a loan scheme, and farmers were not given fair wheat prices last year, with no clear decision yet on this year’s support price.
Rehman said the United States is trying to create conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, warning that such a scenario would only benefit external enemies. He urged Islamabad and Kabul to engage in meaningful dialogue for peace and ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism in Pakistan.
On international issues, he declared that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s dream of occupying Gaza would never come true. He mocked Trump’s statements, likening them to those of a real estate agent, and suggested that if he loved Israelis so much, he should settle them in New York. He called on Pakistan and other Muslim countries to take concrete action in support of Gaza.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025