Pakistan requires uninterrupted internet access: JI chief

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman has condemned the government’s actions, stating that it is not only depriving citizens of their livelihood but also attempting to curtail democratic freedoms by restricting and banning access to the internet.

Speaking at the Youth Empowerment Seminar on Tuesday, he emphasized that the people of Pakistan require uninterrupted internet access. He described the government’s tactics as unbearable, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami would resist these measures.

Naeemur Rehman criticized the government’s approach, stating that instead of fostering growth in the field of information technology, it has resorted to using firewalls to control internet access. He argued that this was not only depriving the youth of employment opportunities but also leading to increasing frustration and desperation.

The seminar, organized by Al-Khidmat Foundation in connection with International Volunteers’ Day, also saw Rehman sharply refute the government’s claims about improvements in the national economy.

He described these claims as a pack of lies, pointing out that the reality on the ground was starkly different, with half the population living below the poverty line.

He further pointed out the state’s failure to provide affordable, quality education, with millions of children unable to attend school due to poverty. Rehman highlighted the disparity between the education systems, one for the rich and one for the poor, stating that this system was deepening the divide between the two classes.

He accused the ruling elite of monopolizing state resources and depriving the people of even their basic needs. “Billionaires with no connection to the struggles of ordinary citizens, and with no interest in solving these issues, are sitting in Parliament,” he said.

Rehman also criticized the country’s interest-based capitalist economy, calling it incompatible with the principles of Islam. He reaffirmed Jamaat-e-Islami’s commitment to establishing an Islamic system in Pakistan, one that would offer hope and opportunities to the youth.

He called for the election of true representatives of the people, as opposed to the current parliamentarians, who he said do not represent the common citizen.

For this transformation, Rehman urged the people of Pakistan to join JI’s movement, pledging that the party would lead the struggle to establish a genuine Islamic welfare state.