LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has warned the government against becoming a party to the Abraham Accords or taking any steps toward recognizing Israel. Any such move, he added while addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Tuesday, would provoke a powerful resistance movement led by the JI.
He condemned Israel’s brutal aggression in Gaza, stating that “backed by the United States, Israel is behaving like a rampaging elephant, crushing humanity.” He criticized the rulers for decades of subservience to the US, saying they are chasing Trump’s approval while failing to stand up for the oppressed Palestinians. He called on Islamic and human rights–oriented nations to adopt a clear and uncompromising stance against Israeli aggression and American support for it.
The JI chief announced the re-launch of protests and demonstrations against rising petrol and electricity prices, promising to unveil a detailed plan of action within the next two days. He warned that if the government fails to provide relief to the people, the protests could escalate into a full-scale movement to topple the government.
Rehman criticized the absence of local government structures in Punjab and Balochistan, and condemned the poor performance of rigged local governments in Sindh and Balochistan. He said the Form-47 installed rulers are hoarding all power and resources while refusing to devolve authority to grassroots levels. “The so-called major ruling and opposition parties, who chant the slogan of democracy, have shown no interest in empowering local governments,” he said.
He announced that after welcoming 2 million new members, Jamaat-e-Islami has initiated the formation of 30,000 public committees across the country. Once this target is achieved within the next month or so, the party will announce its next course of action.
In response to a question on the race for reserved seats, he said all major parties — both government and opposition — have disregarded democratic and ethical principles, grabbing seats that rightfully belong to PTI. He reiterated JI’s longstanding stance that these seats belong to PTI and recalled that the party had opposed the controversial 26th constitutional amendment, which he said weakened the judiciary. “Opposition parties that supported the amendment have tarnished their legacy,” he said.
He added that Karachi and Sindh are under the grip of a rotten “system” that has now been shifted to Islamabad. “Fake rulers have been imposed on the nation through Form-47.
“In Karachi, where MQM couldn’t even win a single polling station, all seats were distributed between PPP and MQM. Today, the city has no one to speak for its people,” he lamented, pointing to the recent building collapse that killed 27 people, with debris still uncleared.
He demanded that the opposition raise its voice over real public issues and questioned the government’s performance in education and healthcare. “In Punjab alone, 13,000 schools have been outsourced. The education budget of over Rs2,000 billion is being lost to corruption.”
Answering journalists’ questions, Rehman criticized the Punjab Assembly Speaker’s move to disqualify public representatives, calling it undemocratic. He expressed concern over reports extrajudicial killings in Punjab, saying such actions have no place in any civilized society. He said the Punjab government has played a destructive role in the collapse of agriculture and the ruin of small farmers.
Calling Hamas a symbol of legitimate resistance, he declared that Israel has failed both in Gaza and in its designs against Iran. He praised Iran’s consistent refusal to recognize Israel, referring to it only as “Occupied Palestine.” He urged Pakistan’s rulers to show similar moral courage.
Rehman rejected any two-state solution as a part of Pakistan’s policy on Palestine and criticized leaders who issue pro-Trump statements for political gains. “Let them tell us — what came of Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir?” he asked, adding that US history is a record of hypocrisy and betrayal. He reiterated Jamaat-e-Islami’s principled position that any dialogue or mediation on Kashmir outside the framework of the right to self-determination is unacceptable.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025