LAHORE : Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman criticised the government’s economic and education policies on Wednesday, saying the general public was being burdened with excessive taxes on fuel, electricity and essential commodities while the state continued to fail in providing basic rights and opportunities to citizens.
Addressing the Bano Qabil graduation ceremony organised by Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan at Lahore Expo Centre, the JI chief said even motorcycle riders were paying Rs117 per litre in petroleum levy along with an additional Rs50 in taxes, while electricity bills had been loaded with dozens of taxes and surcharges.
He lamented that nearly 27.5 million children across Pakistan were out of school, including over 10 million in Punjab alone.
He called for a comprehensive national strategy for education and technology.
During the ceremony, laptops were distributed among top-performing students who completed free IT training under the Bano Qabil programme.
Meanwhile, the Emir of Jamaat-i-Islami Lahore Ziauddin Ansari has announced that the party will stage a large public protest tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm at Masjid-e-Shuhada, Mall Road Lahore.
He stated that the government policies have made life extremely difficult for the common people, as inflation continues to rise sharply and the repeated increase in petroleum prices has become unbearable for low and middle-income groups.
He said that Jamaat-i-Islami, in response to the call of the JI Emir Pakistan Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, will actively participate in the nationwide protest movement.
