Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman attacked both the opposition and the ruling parties for focussing more on accumulating personal fortune than on resolving the fundamental problems facing the nation. As part of JI’s statewide membership drive, Rehman made the following claim on Sunday during a gathering in Karachi: “The political elite is apathetic towards critical issues like water, electricity, gas, and fuel shortages.” He claimed that in order to solve the “crumbling walls” of the current system, these issues necessitate swift response.
The head of JI criticised the existing governing class, describing it as made up of capitalists, feudal lords, and autocrats who have accumulated large fortunes without paying taxes. He also argued that the public has been taxed by the government’s agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). According to Rehman, JI is aggressively mobilising its base through a campaign targeted at obtaining five million new members nationwide and offers the strongest voice for Pakistan’s poor.
He said that the population needed to be united in their opposition to what he called a “tyrannical system” and that he would not stop fighting for them, even if it meant travelling to Islamabad. Recalling the party’s previous triumph in Bangladesh, where it had been instrumental in opposing local authorities, the JI head pleaded with Pakistan to steer clear of a replay of that situation.
He went on to attack the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for misbehaviour and corruption, especially in Sindh. He asserted that although Karachi makes a substantial contribution to the province’s revenue, the local government prefers to spend the budget on ostentatious costs over necessities for the city.
He said that the PPP was abusing the people of Sindh and had not implemented the necessary decentralisation of authority as stipulated in Article 140-A of the constitution.
Moreover, Rehman encouraged respect for democratic processes and public opinion and denounced the supposed establishment’s sponsorship of dishonest political figures. According to him, JI is the sole organisation addressing the issues of the Pakistan’s middle class and impoverished.