LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has criticised the government for creating a martial law-like atmosphere in the country by suppressing the people’s right to democratic expression and holding protests.

Speaking at a press conference at Mansoora here on Saturday, he demanded that the government allow political parties to

hold peaceful protests in Islamabad and

work towards restoring normalcy.

He criticised deployment of army in the federal capital days before the upcoming SCO conference under the pretext of providing security. “The government must refrain from pitting the army against its people,” he said, adding that any military deployment should be reserved for the duration of the conference.

Rehman claimed that the current government lacked moral and democratic legitimacy to make critical decisions.

At a time when Gaza is under siege, and Israeli atrocities have reached alarming levels, Rehman said, Islamabad should be leading efforts to convene a summit of Muslim nations to deliver a clear message to Israel to halt its aggression against Palestinians immediately. Instead, he lamented, the government has resorted to using force against its citizens, sending the wrong message to Gaza.

The JI, he noted, has made efforts to forge a united stance between the government and opposition parties to mark October 7 as Palestine Solidarity Day, commemorating one year of Israeli aggression. While the government, acting on JI’s proposal, has agreed to hold an all-parties conference on Gaza on that date and officially declared it as Palestine Solidarity Day, Rehman said. He called on the government to remove the containers blocking Islamabad and major cities in Punjab, which have paralysed the movement of millions of citizens.

He condemned reports of the potential arrest of the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), warning the government against such actions, and also advised the KP CM to focus on governance in his province rather than leading protests.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024