Dir upper: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday announced the launch of a countrywide movement for systemic change, declaring that two systems and two constitutions cannot run in one country.
Addressing a large public gathering in Dir Upper, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the ruling elite was burdening citizens with heavy taxes and enjoying luxuries.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said not only those brought through 'Form-47' but also 'Form-45 rulers' had failed to deliver, adding that over the past 79 years only faces, slogans and flags had changed while the oppressive system remained intact. He said the massive turnout in the mountainous region reflected growing public support for Jamaat-e-Islami and termed the gathering a precursor to a broader national movement. 'We are striving under the slogan of 'new leadership, new system' and will further organise this movement in the coming days,' he added.
The JI chief said that a nexus of elite classes, establishment and mafias had captured national resources, leaving the country's 250 million people under severe economic pressure. He said whether under martial law or so-called democratic governments, power had remained confined to a privileged few, including feudal lords and influential families.
Criticising the bureaucracy, he termed it a remnant of the colonial system, arguing that its structure fosters a mindset of ruling over the people rather than serving them. He also took aim at the judicial system, saying that justice was inaccessible to the poor without influence or wealth.
The JI Emir said widespread corruption ruining every sector, including education, forests and public finances, and criticised the selective enforcement of laws. Referring to developments in Islamabad's Red Zone, he said influential figures had acquired flats and constructed towers while actions were taken against low-income residents elsewhere.
Highlighting economic challenges, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said public debt had surged sharply in recent years, increasing by billions of rupees daily, while heavy petroleum levies were extracting significant revenue from citizens. He said that an ordinary consumer pays substantial tax per litre of petrol, while the bulk of taxation burden falls on middle- and lower-income groups, in contrast to minimal contributions from large landowners.
The JI leader said despite a decline in global oil prices, the government had failed to pass on relief to consumers and continued to rely on petroleum levies. He demanded that petrol prices be reduced to Rs250 per litre and electricity tariffs be lowered, criticising capacity payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which he said cost the country trillions of rupees annually.
The JI Emir termed the interest-based economic system a key factor behind the country's financial crisis, calling it both economically harmful and anti-Shariah¡ and urged its abolition.
On education, he said around 27.5 million children were out of school nationwide, including 4.9 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and about 100,000 in Dir Upper alone. He criticised the outsourcing of public schools, arguing that the state should instead improve its own institutions. He reiterated his party's commitment to introducing a uniform education system and ensuring free education for all if voted to power, adding that the party was already providing free IT training through its 'Bano Qabil' programme.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami would come to power through public support rather than backing from the establishment or corrupt elements. He pledged to build a people-centric alliance for genuine change. He also announced an organisational drive to enrol five million members nationwide and establish 50,000 public committees, setting a target of 50,000 members in Dir Upper alone. He further unveiled plans for youth elections, greater inclusion of women, and expanded grassroots participation.
Describing Jamaat-e-Islami as a truly democratic party, he said it holds internal elections and allows ordinary workers to rise to leadership positions, adding the party had no record of corruption. He invited workers from other political parties to join the movement.