Shafaqna Pakistan: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has said the party’s planned September 20 long march will mark a turning point in Pakistan’s political landscape.
Addressing a public gathering in Timergara organised against the petroleum levy and rising inflation, Hafiz Naeem praised the party leadership and workers for mobilising supporters, saying an event that began as a gathering quickly transformed into a large-scale public rally within hours.
The JI chief also cautioned the government to take the growing public discontent seriously, warning that the party would intensify its protest movement if the authorities failed to provide meaningful relief to the people.
He said the sit-in in Batkhela had turned into a major public rally, while protests and sit-ins were also continuing in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan.
Hafiz Naeem claimed that JI had brought people together across the country and was campaigning for their rights. He criticised the government’s economic policies, particularly its stance on interest rates, and alleged that the authorities were reluctant to take decisions that could displease the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Even a slight reduction in the interest rate can save billions of rupees from the national treasury,” he said.
The JI emir also alleged that the banking, sugar, flour and independent power producer (IPP) sectors were operating as mafias in collusion with one another and benefiting at the expense of the public. He said such interests existed across political parties and that the issue was not limited to any single political group.
According to Hafiz Naeem, workers from other political parties were also joining the JI-led movement. He criticised the rulers for failing to reduce government expenditure, saying his party had urged them to use smaller vehicles but they were unwilling to listen.
He further claimed that the government had lost the argument at the negotiating table with JI. If relief was not provided to the people, he warned, decisions would be made on the streets and the party could launch a movement seeking to oust the government.
Referring to the Sharif brothers, Hafiz Naeem said Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were facing difficult circumstances. He added that JI’s leadership and workers remained united, with no distinction between the party’s leadership and its rank and file.
Source: Dunya News
