Lahore: The Shehbaz Sharif administration is systematically shifting the heavy burden of its own governance failures and systemic corruption directly onto the shoulders of the general public, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman declared during a press conference in Lahore on Sunday.Addressing media representatives on the twenty-second consecutive day of an ongoing sit-in staged right outside the Chief Minister House against exorbitant petroleum levies, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader issued a stern warning to the ruling coalition. He stated that while formal talks with government negotiators are scheduled to commence on Monday, the JI will not back down from its core demands. If the government fails to accept these demands, he cautioned, the current peaceful sit-ins will swiftly transform into a full-scale government-removal movement, complete with a nationwide wheel-jam strike and a massive long march toward the federal capital in Islamabad.Accompanied at the press conference by Jamaat-e-Isla mi Lahore Chief Ziauddin Ansari, Central Punjab Chief Javed Kasuri, and Central Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman provided a detailed critique of the current financial trajectory of the country. He disclosed that the Shehbaz government has extracted a staggering four trillion rupees from impoverished citizens under the pretext of petroleum levies. However, instead of utilizing these massive collections for their designated purposes, the administration is using the funds to cover up revenue collection shortfalls generated by the Federal Board of Revenue. He charged the revenue collection agency with widespread institutional corruption, noting that ordinary taxpayers are unfairly forced to bear the heavy operational financial load of its twenty-five hundred employees.Offering concrete financial solutions to steer the economy out of its current crisis without crushing everyday citizens, the Jamaat-e-Islami Chief outlined a series of actionable policy measures that his negotiation team intends to present to the government. He emphasized that the national economy could easily function without relying on predatory petroleum levies if the government takes immediate structural steps. Chief among these proposals is a three percent reduction in the interest rate, a move he calculates would instantly save the national treasury roughly one and a half trillion rupees. Furthermore, to combat rampant inflation and stabilize the national currency, he urged the government to bolster State Bank reserves from five percent to fifteen percent.He pointed out that eight trillion rupees from the national budget currently go toward interest payments to commercial banks, an astronomical sum that could be drastically reduced through prudent financial rebalancing. Additionally, he demanded an immediate end to capacity payments to Independent Power Producers, revealing that the government pays nearly two trillion rupees annually to these private entities for electricity that is not even generated, all while citizens continue to suffer through heavy load-shedding.Beyond economic grievances, the Jamaat-e-Islami Chief highlighted urgent human rights and diplomatic concerns on both international and regional fronts. He expressed deep alarm over the harsh and inhumane treatment meted out to Kashmiri Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik in Indian custody, citing a recent letter from Malik that exposes severe mistreatment. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman questioned the Pakistani government's passive stance and urged international diplomatic mobilization to safeguard the Kashmiri leader. Similarly, he drew attention to the harrowing plight of several Pakistani citizens who have been held hostage in Somalia for the past four months, appealing directly to state institutions to take immediate, decisive action to ensure their safe return to their distress-stricken families.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman commented on the prevailing domestic political landscape, saying the PML-N and the PPP were deploying divisive regional tactics out of desperation t o cling to power. He noted that while these parties stood united when ousting the previous regime, they are now playing a dangerous game of dividing the citizenry as their own political viability wanes. On the solemn occasion of Defense Day, he paid rich tribute to the sacrifices of the Pakistani armed forces and the entire nation in safeguarding the country's sovereignty. He affirmed that the public holds the military in high esteem when it fulfills its duty of defending the nation, while reiterating that state institutions must strictly refrain from interfering in political affairs. Expressing profound gratitude to Jamaat-e-Islami workers and the general public for their steadfast participation in the ongoing protests, he reaffirmed that the party's struggle is entirely dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of the common people.