Rulers visionless group focusing on corruption, says JI chief

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has criticized the ruling elite, calling them a visionless group focused solely on corruption and exploitation.

Speaking at a certificate and laptop distribution ceremony under the “Bano Qabil” program organized by the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan at the Expo Centre here on Wednesday, he said governmental policies and propaganda by certain elements were causing despair among the youth. He emphasized that if resources were directed towards people, Pakistan could achieve significant development within a few years. Highlighting the potential of the IT sector, he stated that focusing on IT alone could boost annual exports from the current $3.2 billion to $10 billion. However, he lamented that the government was unwilling to serve people as mafias had been controlling the country for the past 77 years.

He pointed out that since 1994, successive governments favoured Independent Power Producers (IPPs), granting them tax exemptions and capacity charges amounting to Rs3,000 billion annually. He vowed that the JI would take back resources from the ruling elite and make the public their rightful beneficiaries. He announced nationwide protests against costly electricity and IPPs on January 17, urging the public to join demonstrations.

Addressing the importance of empowering the youth, the JI leader said the second phase of free IT courses under the “Bano Qabil” program would commence in Lahore on February 23. He expressed the party’s vision to train one million children in Punjab over the next two years. He called upon the youth to become ambassadors for the Alkhidmat “Bano Qabil” initiative. He reiterated the party’s demand for a uniform education system and curriculum across the country. He stressed that it was the government’s responsibility to provide quality and free education, which was not charity but a fundamental right of people.

He said the “Bano Qabil” program, which started in Karachi with over 50 campuses offering free IT courses, expanded to all provinces including remote areas of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

He noted that Pakistan was a country of young people, with 80% of its population under the age of 40. “We will not let the youth lose hope; we will secure the country’s future through education and empowerment,” he affirmed.