RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday said the nationwide shutter-down strike on September 3 would unite the nation and open the way for people’s freedom and prosperity, warning that the party would launch a long march towards Islamabad if the government failed to accept its demands.
Addressing a public gathering at Liaquat Bagh, he said the rulers had blocked the country’s path to economic progress and public welfare and could not withstand the power of the people.
“The struggle will not stop until the people get their rights,” he said, demanding the abolition of petroleum levy, reduction in electricity and bread prices, and an end to excessive perks and privileges for ministers and government officials.
Naeem said successive governments had failed to provide basic facilities, including quality education, healthcare and public safety, while burdening citizens with inflation, expensive electricity and rising petroleum prices.
“Shehbaz Speed is now being used to increase inflation,” he said.
The JI Ameer described petroleum levy as an unjust burden on farmers, labourers, students and commuters, while, he said, the elite and large landowners continued to enjoy concessions and privileges.
The gathering was part of JI’s ongoing nationwide movement against the petroleum levy, IPP agreements and inflation.
JI Punjab North Ameer Dr Tariq Saleem, Rawalpindi Emir Syed Arif Shirazi, Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, National Labour Federation President Shamsur Rehman Swati, Jamiat Talaba Arabia leader Ibrahim Usmani, Islami Jamiat Talaba Rawalpindi Nazim Hamd Asif Awan and acting secretary general of JI Women Wing Samina Saeed also addressed the gathering.
Thousands of people attended the rally, while sit-ins and protest camps continued in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Chitral, Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh and the country.
Naeem congratulated party workers for overcoming administrative hurdles to hold the gathering at Liaquat Bagh.
The JI Amir said he had warned a day earlier that if the rally was stopped, JI supporters would fill the streets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Referring to the history of Liaquat Bagh, he said decades had passed without those responsible for the killings of national leaders being brought to justice. He also criticised the country’s ruling political parties, saying that politicians rejected by voters were repeatedly brought to power through “Form 47.”
He said the party’s protest movement had spread across the country despite government expectations that the sit-ins would end within days.
“It has been 15 days, and we are prepared to continue for 115 days if necessary,” he said, adding that a sit-in could also be launched in Rawalpindi.
He maintained that JI believed in a peaceful and constitutional struggle and had no personal or family-based political agenda. However, he warned that if the government continued to ignore public demands, the party would announce a long march on Islamabad.
“People will come to Islamabad from every direction,” he said, adding that the government should resolve public issues before the situation escalated.
Criticising the power sector, he said private power producers continued to receive billions of rupees, including payments under capacity arrangements, while consumers faced fixed charges on electricity bills.
He said the JI’s earlier protest campaign had pushed the government to negotiate with IPPs and resulted in relief of Rs10 to Rs15 per unit for consumers.
Turning to education, the JI leader questioned why public funds allocated for education were not being fully utilised for the sector.
He said more than 10 million children in Punjab and nearly 27.5 million across Pakistan were out of school, adding that the Punjab government had outsourced 11,000 public schools. He said quality and free education was a constitutional right of every citizen.
He also expressed concern over crimes against children and women and said many cases of sexual violence remained unreported because families feared social stigma.
Commenting on the situation in Azad Kashmir, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Naeem said political and social problems could not be resolved through the use of force alone.
He called for dialogue in Azad Kashmir, greater respect and development for Balochistan, and border trade zones and economic opportunities in areas affected by militancy in KP.
