Hafiz Naeem berates caretakers for importing $1bn wheat

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has condemned the deployment of police force against the peaceful protest of farmers in Lahore, demanding the immediate release of detained farmers and the fulfilment of their demands. Addressing an event at Mansoorah on Wednesday, he castigated the ruling elite for their monopolization of state resources. He stressed that the oppressed had no alternative but to engage in peaceful resistance, extending the JI's platform to farmers, laborers, and the general populace.

"Our doors are open to all who wish to stand with us against the corrupt system," declared Hafiz Naeem. He criticized the former caretaker government for importing wheat worth one billion dollars under the pretext of a shortage in stock, only to now neglect the purchase of wheat from farmers.

He expressed unwavering support for the farmers, highlighting their dire situation. Drawing attention to the plight of laborers, daily wage earners, working women, domestic workers, and low-ranking government employees, Hafiz Naeem asserted that their rights had been trampled upon while the ruling elite enjoyed all the luxuries the country had to offer.

He decried the disparity, noting that the ruling class benefited from free electricity, petrol and gas, while burdening the poor with unjustified taxes. The JI chief criticized the fraudulent mandate upon which the current government was formed, based on Form 47, and lamented the nepotism evident in the distribution of government positions among family members.

He accused the rulers of exploiting the masses while simultaneously seeking loans from various countries, perpetuating a cycle of dependency.

Highlighting the façade of unity among the ruling class, he asserted that they were united in protecting their interests while deliberately dividing the public.