Sit-ins and Talks Go Togather, Says Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman

LAHORE 05 Sep: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said that political parties and some circles wrongly assumed that the Jamaat-e-Islami sit-in would end within a few days, asserting that the ongoing struggle was not aimed at securing any political or electoral benefit for the party.

Addressing protesters on the 21st day of the ongoing sit-in outside the Chief Minister's House in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said there were no elections at present and Jamaat-e-Islami had nothing to gain for itself. “Our entire struggle is for the rights of the people and against inflation, oppressive taxation, petroleum levy and other public issues,” he said.

He said negotiations with the government would take place, but Jamaat-e-Islami would not abandon its struggle in the name of talks. The sit-ins would continue, he added, warning that if the demands were not accepted, the party would launch a nationwide wheel-jam strike and bring the entire country to a halt.

Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Vice Emir Dr Usama Razi Khan, Deputy Secretaries Waqas Anjum Jafri and Sheikh Usman Farooq, Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, Central Punjab Emir Javed Qasuri, Lahore Vice Emir Zikrullah Mujahid, Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi and other leaders were also present on the occasion.

Sit-ins and protests against the petroleum levy, agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and soaring inflation are also continuing in Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Chitral and other parts of the country.

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said Pakistan was facing severe electricity load-shedding despite having the clear capacity to generate sufficient power. He said forcing people to endure hours-long outages despite the country's power generation potential was evidence of the rulers' worst incompetence.

“A country that has the capacity to produce electricity is still keeping its people in darkness. This is a clear manifestation of government failure and flawed policies,” he said.

The JI chief said a meeting had been held with the government committee and negotiations would begin on Monday. However, he made it clear that Jamaat-e-Islami would not allow its public movement to be weakened or abandoned in the name of negotiations.

“Negotiations have their own place, but the sit-ins and public struggle will continue. If the government does not accept the people's demands, Jamaat-e-Islami will move towards a nationwide wheel-jam strike and has the capacity to shut down the entire country,” he said.

Rejecting the petroleum levy, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami could not accept the tax under any circumstances. He said the petroleum levy had no direct connection with international oil prices or other market factors and had become a means of extracting more money directly from the pockets of the people.

He said the government used war and global developments as an excuse to increase petroleum prices and impose an additional burden of inflation on the public. “The rulers have robbed the pockets of the people, while the common man is already suffering from inflation, unemployment and the lack of basic facilities,” he said.

He said the people were deprived of safe transport facilities and relief from inflation, while the prices of essential commodities continued to rise and the purchasing power of ordinary citizens was rapidly declining. The ruling elite, he added, remained focused on protecting its own interests rather than addressing public problems.

Commenting on the political situation in Sindh, Rehman said Punjab and Sindh were under the monopoly of a few political families. He said that the PPP was more concerned with maintaining its power and protecting corruption than serving the people of Sindh.

The JI chief said the PPP had ruled Sindh for decades but failed to provide even basic facilities in Larkana, Naudero, Shahdadkot and other areas. He said that Karachi was treated merely as a source of revenue and exploitation, while little attention was paid to resolving the city's problems and providing basic facilities to its residents.

He called for an end to politics and what he described as “drama” in the name of Sindhi and Muhajir identities, demanding that real power be transferred to the people. He said the ruling class had historically strengthened its hold on power by dividing citizens along ethnic lines.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami was not engaged in politics aimed at dividing the people but was striving to unite them against oppression, inflation, corruption and the exploitative system.

Calling on the protesters to continue their struggle, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said rights were not granted as a favour by governments but were achieved through organised and sustained public resistance.

He said Jamaat-e-Islami would further expand and strengthen its movement against the petroleum levy, inflation, prolonged load-shedding and oppressive taxes imposed on the people.