LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has dismissed government claims of economic improvement as disconnected from reality.
“Commodity prices are beyond the reach of the average person, unemployment is on the rise, and the costs of petrol, gas, and electricity are increasing. I am astonished by the Prime Minister’s presentations claiming progress,” he said.
While addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Monday, he emphasized that the economy cannot be repaired unless the government offers substantial relief to the public regarding electricity bills. He insisted that the government must abolish unjust and expensive agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
He noted that the country is paying billions of rupees to IPPs in capacity charges. “Pay them only for what they produce, and redirect the funds owed to a select few elites towards public relief,” he argued.
Rehman pointed out that many IPPs are linked to military-affiliated institutions and ruling families, urging them to withdraw from these agreements in the interest of the public and the state. He also called for an end to the petroleum levy and for lowering petrol prices to align with international market rates.
Rehman rejected the privatization of national entities, lamenting that successive governments have first undermined profitable organizations and they want to sell them off. He announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would launch a movement against the transfer of 14,000 schools in Punjab to NGOs and would support teachers opposing this decision through legal means.
Furthermore, he pledged that Jamaat-e-Islami would challenge the 26th constitutional amendment in the Supreme Court, criticizing rumors about a potential 27th amendment as distractions aimed at diverting public attention from the previous amendment, which, he said, sought to undermine the judiciary.
Rehman condemned remarks made by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz regarding fostering relations with India. He stated that friendship with India at the expense of Kashmiri lives and the Kashmir issue is unacceptable. “Those advocating friendship with India should urge New Delhi to withdraw its nearly one million troops from occupied Kashmir, allowing the people to exercise their right to self-determination,” he asserted.
The JI Emir advocated for dialogue with Afghanistan, stressing the need for Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their issues peacefully, honouring the long-standing brotherly ties between their peoples. He insisted that Afghan soil must not be used for militancy and terrorism against Pakistan. He proposed that Pakistan, China, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Central Asian countries form a bloc for economic improvement and peace in the region.
He underscored the importance of strengthening local government bodies, describing them as the nursery of democracy. He criticized the so-called democratic governments for neglecting power distribution at the grassroots level.
Rehman stated that Jamaat-e-Islami aims to hold a referendum to gauge public opinion on a potential boycott of inflated power bills. He concluded by calling on the public to join Jamaat-e-Islami in their struggle for genuine change under the slogan “Haq Do Awam Ko”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024