Haripur: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday announced that his party would relaunch a vigorous nationwide movement against Independent Power Producers (IPPs) after Ramadan, urging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other opposition parties to support JI's campaign against Pakistan's participation in the so-called Gaza Peace Board.
Addressing a large public gathering in Haripur on Friday, he said political parties in Pakistan had been reduced to family estates, resulting in the continuation of authoritarian rule in the name of democracy. He said the ruling elite hijacked democratic institutions, imposing decisions without public mandate.
He warned that hopes pinned on the United States were misplaced, asserting that Washington was no one's friend except Israel. Referring to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, he said nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize amounted to trading away the nation's dignity, as Trump remained the strongest supporter of Israel's military campaign against Palestinians.
Rehman categorically rejected Pakistan's involvement in any Gaza-related international mechanism that could lead to the disarmament of Hamas or deployment of Pakistani troops. 'The 250 million people of Pakistan will never accept any move that sends our armed forces to Gaza or makes Pakistan part of a plan to disarm Hamas,' he declared.
He said the rulers imposed through Form-47 rigging had no moral authority to make unilateral decisions on vital national and international issues. Criticizing dynastic politics, he said Pakistan was trapped in a nexus of bureaucracy, feudal elites, and family-dominated political parties, adding that parties lacking internal democracy could never establish genuine democracy in the country.
Citing Bangladesh as a recent example of political change, he said sustained democratic struggle could bring transformative results. He expressed optimism that JI Pakistan would achieve surprising results in the coming elections through peaceful and democratic resistance.
The JI chief also highlighted the economic crisis, holding successive governments responsible for destroying industry, burdening the nation with debt, and prioritizing payments to IPPs. 'They pay nearly Rs2,000 billion annually to IPPs but claim they cannot allocate even Rs500 billion for free education of our children,' he said, adding the ruling elite has deliberately kept the masses uneducated to perpetuate their hold on power.
He lamented the destruction of industries in Hazara Division and the continued neglect of dam affectees awaiting compensation, saying rulers remained oblivious to people's hardships. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman called upon the youth to unite against the ruling classes and pledged that JI would mobilize public power to reclaim the country from entrenched elites and establish a just, democratic system.