Multan: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, said on Monday that mere change of faces would not bring improvement in the country, stressing that only a systemic overhaul could address public issues as the existing political, economic and governance structure had failed.
Addressing workers during his visit to a membership drive camp at Gol Bagh Chowk in Multan, he said that a nexus of feudal lords, capitalists and bureaucracy continued to suppress the masses. He said the party had launched a nationwide membership campaign with a target of enrolling five million members through the formation of 50,000 committees. Reflecting on the country’s 80-year history, he remarked that changing rulers had not improved governance, adding that Pakistan had witnessed 33 years of martial rule and that major political parties had, at different times, supported military regimes.
The JI chief criticized the prevailing power structure, stating that feudal elites, empowered during colonial rule through la
nd grants and privileges, still dominated the system, and that the colonial mindset persisted. He said the people of South Punjab were well aware of these realities.
Taking aim at the bureaucracy, he said that officials were trained to exercise authority through force, citing the treatment of street vendors in various cities as an example. ‘Once they hold power, their attitude changes,’ he added. He also criticized dynastic politics, pointing out that in Multan, multiple members of the National Assembly and even the Senate chairman belonged to the same family. He termed the PPP a party of feudal elites and said the PML-N of is spending extravagant, adding that while massive advertising campaigns were underway, an aircraft worth Rs11 billion was being purchased.
Referring to international issues, he said no major Pakistani political party had raised its voice against US President Donald Trump, and lamented the lack of protests despite tens of thousands of deaths in Palestine.
On the economy, Hafiz Naeemur R
ehman said the country’s debt had surged from Rs55 trillion to Rs85 trillion over the past four years, with Rs8 trillion annually being spent on interest payments. He added that a one percent increase in interest rates led to an additional burden of Rs540 billion.
He criticized the tax structure, saying motorcycle users were paying Rs153 per litre in taxes, contributing Rs450 billion annually, while salaried individuals paid Rs650 billion in taxes. In contrast, he said, Rs2 trillion were being paid to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), while LNG agreements signed during the PML-N government were fraudulent.
Highlighting education issues, he said over 250,000 children in Multan alone were out of school, despite the Constitution mandating free education for children aged 5 to 16. He also criticized the outsourcing of public schools. He pledged that JI would provide free education from school to university if it came to power, adding that thousands of students had already benefited from free IT training under
the ‘Bano Qabil’ programme.
Announcing future plans, he said the party would launch a nationwide movement after Eid against the IPP mafia and middlemen exploiting farmers. He noted that agricultural growth had declined from 6.4 percent two years ago to 0.5 percent, calling it a reflection of poor governance.
He also criticized the government for imposing taxes on solar energy while continuing what he described as wasteful expenditures, adding that parties unable to ensure merit within their own ranks could not establish merit in the country.