Situation in KP, Balochistan become grave: Terrorism can not be eliminated without addressing root causes: JI
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Tuesday said that the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan had become grave and stressed that terrorism could not be eliminated without addressing its root causes.
Addressing participants of a central training camp at Mansoorah and later speaking to the media, Rehman urged the rulers to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 not as a mere ritual but by adopting a clear and forceful stance against Indian occupation and oppression in the occupied valley. He said Pakistan must take practical steps for the liberation of occupied Kashmir instead of symbolic gestures.
He said that one of the major reasons behind terrorism in the country was Pakistan’s long-standing alignment with the United States, adding that the nation would not accept Pakistan’s inclusion in any so-called Gaza peace board. JI Secretary Information Shakil Turabi were also present on the occasion.
Criticising the governance record of the PML-N and the PPP, the JI chief said both parties had ruled the country for decades and their style of governance had become an example of the worst governance in the world. After weakening state institutions, he said, the Sharif and Bhutto families were now preparing their third generation to rule the country.
“The public, however, is no longer being misled by them,” he said.
Referring to recent political developments, Rehman criticised what he described as the projection of Bilawal Bhutto as a “wonder boy” and Maryam Nawaz as a “wonder lady,” questioning the performance of the Sindh and Punjab governments. He asked why schools were being handed over to the private sector if governance in Punjab was, as claimed, improving. He also criticised the Punjab Local Government Act, calling it undemocratic and anti-people.
He said the PPP is in power in Sindh with the help of “Form-47,” adding that after ruling the province for 17 years, the party had also “captured” the Karachi mayor’s office as well as national and provincial assembly seats from the city. He questioned the Sindh chief minister on how such elements should be described if not as an “occupation group.”
The JI leader said that bureaucratic dominance prevailed across the country and that an effective local government system was non-existent. He announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its struggle for an empowered local government system and would stage a strong protest in Karachi on February 14 against the imposed setup.
Speaking on terrorism in Balochistan and KP, he reiterated that issues could not be resolved through force alone. He said deprivation, unemployment and lack of education among youth were pushing them towards anti-state elements and called for dignity and rights for the people of Balochistan. He said the nation had been paying the price for participation in so-called American war for the past 25 years.
He criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for nominating US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying it compromised national dignity. He said that even after 77 years, the objectives of Pakistan’s creation remained unfulfilled. He stressed that the country needed systemic change rather than new faces.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026