LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday said imposed rulers cannot win the confidence of the masses and stressed that sovereignty must be returned to people, insisting that meaningful change would only come through a complete overhaul of the system.
Addressing the launch of Jamaat-e-Islami’s nationwide membership drive at Moon Market, Allama Iqbal Town, he said the musical chairs of power among those nurtured by the establishment must end.
He later addressed an online gathering of party workers across the country from Mansoorah. He announced a target of five million members and 20,000 public committees under the campaign, noting that the party currently has around two million members and 15,000 committees nationwide.
Criticising the government over rising petroleum prices, he said an average citizen is paying around Rs125 per litre in taxes and levies on petrol. While the public is burdened, the ruling elite continues to enjoy lavish expenditures, citing expensive official purchases and privileges for bureaucracy, along with capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs).
He highlighted the energy crisis, stating that despite a generation capacity of around 49,000MW, the country is unable to meet a demand of 20,000–22,000MW, resulting in severe load-shedding. He argued that better investment in IT infrastructure, such as data centres, could have helped utilise surplus generation capacity instead of laptop distribution like publicity-driven initiatives.
The JI chief criticised exploitative economic structures, saying that entrenched elite, including feudal and bureaucratic class, continue to benefit at the expense of the public. He stressed that merely changing faces or political parties would not bring relief unless the outdated system itself is reformed.
Referring to the agriculture sector, he said farmers in Punjab are not receiving the government’s support price for wheat, adding that middlemen are exploiting both growers and consumers by manipulating prices. He raised concerns over social sectors, saying that millions of children remain out of school while rulers are privatising public education and healthcare facilities instead of strengthening them.
Commenting on global developments, he said shifting international dynamics present opportunities for Pakistan but warned that entrenched elite tends to exploit such openings for personal gain. He reiterated that the Jamaat-e-Islami would intensify its movement for systemic change after achieving membership targets and also campaign for strengthening local government systems at the grassroots level.
Responding to media queries, he questioned the role of tax authorities, asking why heavy direct taxation is imposed on citizens despite the presence of a large tax collection apparatus.
