Israeli terrorism put region in chaos: JI

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said Israel’s terrorism has put the entire region in chaos while the US president is playing a hypocritical role.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Tuesday, he urged the government not to pin any hopes on Trump. He regretted that neither the ruling alliance nor the opposition parties dared utter a word against Washington or protest Israeli atrocities. He praised Iran’s resilience in the face of Israeli aggression and assured Iran’s supreme leader and government of Pakistanis’ moral support.

He welcomed the government expression of solidarity with Iran and appreciated Saudi Arabia’s stance on the matter. “Pakistan must play a leading role on Gaza and Iran. If the Muslim Ummah fails to unite and resist Israeli aggression in these two regions, the Zionist regime will target other Muslim countries next,” he warned and said Hindutva and Zionism, backed by the US, were trampling humanity. He said those trying to sow sectarian discord in current circumstances are serving Israeli interests.

Criticizing the government, Rehman denounced its anti-poor economic policies which he said made life miserable for the common man, farmers, labourers and salaried classes. “Instead of targeting the masses, the rulers should curb their luxuries, cut unnecessary protocol and slash perks and privileges,” he said. He demanded significant reductions in electricity, gas, and petrol prices and proposed the formation of a commission to restore peace and resolve the issue of missing persons in Balochistan. He criticized the Punjab government for destroying agriculture and handing over schools and hospitals to the private sector. He said Sindh was under the control of criminal elements, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were plagued by unrest. “The federal finance minister claims economic improvement while imposing endless taxes. Under the cover of global price hike, petrol prices are increased overnight. If energy costs keep rising, how will industries survive?”

He pointed out that the salaried class paid Rs500 billion in taxes and asked how much the government had collected from the feudal elite. “The government is squeezing the people to enrich the privileged class. Health, education and peace are not the ruling elite’s priorities. Over Rs2,000 billion of provincial education budgets are lost to corruption and three crore children remain out of school. He said Punjab’s performance was just media hype and fake PR. Governments should function through policies, not advertisements.

He shared that the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Central Shoora had held a three-day session to discuss national and global issues, and presented key policy suggestions. These included ending petroleum levies to reduce prices by up to 40 per cent and forming an independent commission on Baloch missing persons. He emphasized that Pakistan must assert a principled stance on Kashmir and reject any Trump-led mediation.

“In light of regional tensions, we have postponed our anti-IPPs movement, but our struggle for public rights continues,” he added. To a question, he replied that the JI stood firm against the establishment interference in politics, unlike other parties that collaborated with it.