Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced that his party will launch a full-scale movement against rising electricity costs and independent power producers (IPPs) after Ramazan.
Addressing a Meet the Press event in Peshawar, he criticized the country's economic and political landscape, asserting that a small elite of landlords and power brokers have no right to rule over the majority of the population.
Commenting on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) demand for fresh elections, Hafiz Naeem questioned the party’s decision to abandon its earlier stance on Form 45. He reiterated JI’s demand for a judicial commission to investigate the alleged electoral irregularities linked to Form 45.
The JI chief also expressed concerns over the prolonged unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, attributing regional instability to flawed policies that have rendered Pakistan’s western border insecure. He warned that conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan only serve the interests of external adversaries, urging religious scholars and politicians to facilitate meaningful dialogue between the two nations.
"Afghanistan must also act responsibly and ensure that its soil is not used against Pakistan," he added.
On domestic politics, Hafiz Naeem called the imprisonment of PTI’s founder a politically motivated move. He also criticized PTI’s governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stating that despite 11 years in power, the party failed to bring significant improvements in the education sector. He stressed that providing quality education is the government's responsibility and should not be neglected.
JI’s upcoming campaign against economic hardships signals intensified political activism post-Ramadan, with the party aiming to challenge what it sees as systemic injustices in governance.