Peshawar: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that restoring peace and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the government's foremost responsibility, while the people have the first right over the province's natural resources and mineral wealth.Addressing a press conference at Al-Markaz Islami Peshawar on Sunday, he also welcomed the defence agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Trkiye, describing it as an important step towards Muslim unity. He called for Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Muslim countries to be included in the arrangement.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced that JI would hold sit-ins outside the Chief Minister's House in Punjab and the Governor Houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan on August 16 against the petroleum levy, independent power producers (IPPs), and the privileges and extravagance of the ruling elite.He urged the people, particularly the youth of KP, to participate in the protests in large numbers. He thanked PTI, ANP and other op position parties for expressing support for the planned sit-ins. The JI chief said the people of KP deserved peace as well as their due share in the province's resources and minerals. He said providing employment opportunities to young people would contribute significantly to resolving the province's problems. He expressed concern over the suspension of Pakistan-Afghanistan trade, saying traders on both sides of the border were facing serious difficulties. He called for the restoration of border trade and proposed the establishment of dedicated Pakistan-Afghanistan border trade zones in consultation with all stakeholders.Hafiz Naeemur Rehman urged Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their differences through dialogue, stressing that Afghan territory must not be allowed to be used for terrorism against Pakistan. He also called for easier travel facilities for students of both countries, saying deterioration in relations between the two governments was adversely affecting ordinary citizens, traders and students. H e said Saudi Arabia and Trkiye could also be approached to help improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.The JI emir criticised the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for not recognising medical degrees obtained by Pakistani students from Afghanistan and demanded that their degrees be recognised.He also raised the issue of residents displaced from Tirah Valley, saying they had initially been told that they would return home after a month once the military operation was completed. However, he said, several months had passed and they had still not been able to return.Referring to recent protests, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the large public participation demonstrated that people were fed up with the 'Form-47 rulers' and the prevailing system of governance.He said that the ruling elite and various mafias were receiving annual privileges worth $17 billion from the state. He further said that IPPs had been paid over the past four years amounts for electricity not generated that exceeded the expenditure incurred on actual power generation. He said that Rs8 trillion had been collected from the public through the petroleum levy and criticised the government for turning petroleum into a source of revenue during a period of war-related tensions. 'This injustice against the people must end,' he said, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami was protesting for the rights of the people rather than for any personal or political interest.The JI emir reiterated his party's call for an end to excessive privileges for the ruling elite and various vested interests. Welcoming the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Trkiye defence agreement, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman described it as a significant development towards greater unity among Muslim countries. He said the inclusion of Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Islamic countries would make the arrangement more effective in confronting external threats and challenges.JI KP Central Emir Abdul Wasey, General Secretary Sabir Hussain Awan, Peshawar Emir Bahrullah Advocate, Deputy Emir Sohaib uddin Kakakhel, KP Central Media Cell Director Ahmed Furqan Khalil, spokesperson Noor-ul-Wahid Jadoon and Alkhidmat Foundation KP Central and South President Khalid Waqas Chamkani were also present at the press conference.