LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Saturday called on the government to brief the nation on a ‘pause’ in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and urged a thorough review of Pakistan’s policies influenced by the United States.
According to media cell of JI at Mansoora, addressing a leadership workshop in Karak, he questioned whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would have the courage to refuse to sit alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a Gaza Peace Board meeting under the chairmanship of US President Donald Trump. He stressed that Islamabad must reassess both its internal and external policies in line with national security and dignity.
Rehman said policies formulated under American influence had first alienated the people of Afghanistan and later Pakistan’s own citizens. “Even today, the rulers are pinning their hopes on Washington. They must realize that friendship with the US has never benefited Pakistan,” he remarked.
He said the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were once again in the grip of severe insecurity and urged the Afghan government to ensure that its soil is not used for terrorist activities against Pakistan. He recalled that the policies adopted during the era of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had plunged the country into a prolonged wave of terrorism, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, billions of dollars in economic damage, and increased foreign interference in national affairs.
“Yet, once again, efforts are being made to please Trump. Pakistan does not seek confrontation with any global power, but nor is it so weak that it should accept every diktat from Washington without question,” he added.
Referring to the CPEC, the JI chief said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, which came into power after the ouster of Imran Khan, had claimed that progress on CPEC was stalled during the PTI tenure. “After that, a caretaker setup — effectively PDM-II — ruled, and now PDM-III has been in power for over two years. The nation must be told why CPEC is still not moving forward,” he demanded.
He emphasized that while China was Pakistan’s trusted friend, agreements must always be framed in line with national priorities. “The public deserves full transparency on the current status and future roadmap of CPEC,” he said.
Rehman further criticized what he termed the dominance of bureaucracy, feudal elites, and dynastic political parties, saying they have formed cartels to control national resources. He said Jamaat-e-Islami’s movement aimed to overhaul the obsolete system and return power to the people.
Calling upon party leaders and workers to intensify grassroots engagement, he urged them to mobilize youth to struggle for their rights and encourage women to join JI’s membership drive. He said the ideological legacy of Syed Abul A‘la Maududi had sparked revivalist movements across the Muslim world, including in Egypt, Tunisia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, where Jamaat-e-Islami had emerged as a major political force.
“The people associated with Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan should take pride in being part of a movement striving for the supremacy of Islam and the liberation of humanity from human subjugation,” he said, adding that the party would also relaunch a determined campaign against the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) mafia to secure the public’s rights.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026