LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that no slogan calling for Sindhudesh will be allowed in the country, stressing that his party does not recognize any group that rejects the ideology of Pakistan.
Addressing participants of the ongoing sit-in against the petroleum levy at Faisal Chowk on Lahore’s Mall Road, Hafiz Naeem said the protest was giving voice to the grievances of the people.
He said the movement was aimed at raising awareness and standing against injustice. He expressed confidence that the protesters’ struggle would ultimately achieve its objectives.
Hafiz Naeem said negotiations with the government were scheduled to take place in Islamabad the following day. He added that his team was fully prepared and that if the government showed seriousness, Jamaat-e-Islami would also work to move the talks forward.
He called for an end to what he described as “economic terrorism” and rejected the petroleum levy, saying such financial burdens on the public could not continue.
The JI chief also criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, condemning what he described as an objectionable statement. He accused her government of damaging the education system in Punjab and claimed that 11,000 schools had been sold.
Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami’s movement was aimed at changing the existing system. He alleged that the country’s political structure was dominated by landlords and influential elites.
He further said that whether the country was under martial law or what he called “so-called democracy,” the same influential groups continued to dominate the political system.
Hafiz Naeem alleged that such groups deprived ordinary people of their right to govern and relied on force to maintain their influence. He maintained that those who rejected the ideology of Pakistan had no connection with the country’s founding principles.
Jamaat-e-Islami has been holding protests and sit-ins against inflation and the petroleum levy in several cities across Pakistan for the past 22 days.
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