Karachi: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Chief Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday warned that his party would launch a nationwide protest movement from June 13 and subsequently announce a countrywide wheel-jam strike, if the federal budget, due to be presented on June 12, imposed any additional tax burden on the public.
Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, he urged people from all walks of life – including youth, workers, students, lawyers, teachers, doctors and traders – to support JI’s campaign against what he described as anti-people economic policies.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also called on the government to take urgent steps to secure the safe release of Pakistani citizens being held hostage by Somali pirates. He said nearly 50 days had passed since the incident, but no serious or effective efforts by the authorities were visible. ‘The hostages are enduring severe physical and psychological suffering, while their families continue to face anxiety and distress
,’ he said.
Referring to the power sector, the JI chief said agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) had caused significant economic losses to the country. He demanded a forensic audit of all IPP contracts and the termination of agreements found to be against the national interest.
He also called for immediate reductions in electricity, gas and petroleum prices and urged the government to freeze utility tariffs for at least three years to support economic recovery.
Criticising the government’s decision to allow sugar exports, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that influential interests within the ruling structure were benefiting from policies that favoured the sugar industry at the expense of consumers. He said the move was contributing to rising sugar prices and urged the government to prioritise public welfare over the interests of ‘mafias’.
Speaking about Karachi’s civic challenges, he said the city generated a substantial share of Sindh’s revenue but was being denied its due resources and rights. H
e criticised delays in the K-IV water supply project and accused both federal and provincial authorities of shifting responsibility for the scheme’s slow progress.
He said between 70 and 80 per cent of Karachi faced severe water shortages, forcing residents to go without water for weeks, while tanker operators continued to function with official patronage.
Naeemur Rehman said the country did not require any new constitutional amendment at present. Instead, he called for empowering local governments across Pakistan, including in Karachi, and ensuring direct allocation of financial resources to them.
Condemning the recent acid attack on a woman doctor in Balochistan, he described the incident as ‘inhumane and deeply tragic’ and urged the government to introduce stronger legislation and preventive measures against such crimes.
The JI chief said the government had failed to provide meaningful relief to citizens and that there appeared to be little prospect of relief for ordinary people in the upcoming budget.
He criticised the continued reliance on petroleum levy and indirect taxation, arguing that the burden was being borne by workers, students, farmers and low-income commuters while privileged groups remained protected.
Referring to the hostage crisis, he said 10 Pakistanis were among 17 individuals being held captive, including seven residents of Karachi. According to their families, food and drinking water supplies on board the vessel had become critically scarce, with hostages surviving on small portions of boiled rice and contaminated water. ‘The state has a responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens and must utilise all diplomatic and international channels to secure their safe return,’ he said.
The JI supreme leader said JI did not wish to use the issue for political point-scoring, but warned that if the government failed to fulfill its responsibilities, the party would continue raising the matter at every level and consider protests and other democratic means of pressure.
Earlier,
the families met Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and briefed him on the conditions facing their relatives, after which he assured them of the party’s full support and solidarity.