Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman Tuesday criticised the state of public services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighting severe deficiencies in education, healthcare, and infrastructure, and announced plans for a nationwide movement after Eid, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a public gathering titled “Change the System, Give Battagram Its Rights,” he said the district suffers from a critical lack of basic facilities, calling it “a matter of shame” that there is not a single degree college in Battagram and no lady doctor available across an entire tehsil. He urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to respond to the situation.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman stated that approximately 75,000 children in a district of around 550,000 population are out of school, questioning the performance of successive governments. He accused traditional political elites and landlords of maintaining a monopoly on power, alleging that they frequently switch parties for personal gain while depriving citizens of basic rights.
He further criticised economic policies, claiming that the ruling class has facilitated the growth of billionaires while ordinary citizens face economic hardship. Despite Pakistan’s reported capacity to generate 49,000 megawatts of electricity, he said people continue to endure up to 16 hours of load-shedding.
Referring to energy sector payments, he alleged that billions of rupees are being paid to independent power producers (IPPs) in capacity charges, while the public bears the burden through high fuel prices, including taxes of up to Rs150 per litre on petrol.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader also termed the interest-based financial system a major cause of economic decline, claiming that around 45 per cent of the national budget is consumed by interest payments, forcing the country to seek external financial assistance.
Calling for systemic change, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the time had come to move beyond traditional political families. He criticised major parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party, alleging that leadership remains concentrated within select families while party workers are sidelined.
He urged party workers to prepare for a “full-scale movement” after Eid, stating that Jamaat-e-Islami aims to bring about structural reforms and challenge the status quo.
On international issues, he condemned Israeli actions in Palestine and described the United States as a declining global power. While appreciating Pakistan’s recent diplomatic efforts for regional peace, he cautioned against relying on American support, terming such expectations misguided.