We Have Not Left the Field, Waiting for PM’s Return: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman
Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said his party has neither abandoned its campaign nor backed down, adding that it is waiting for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to return to Pakistan before deciding its next course of action.
Speaking in Lahore, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that if the prime minister’s meeting with the JI did not result in appropriate measures providing relief to the public, the party would resume its long march from Multan in the first week of October.
He said the JI continued to represent the genuine concerns of the people and called on the government to end what he described as extravagant spending and political patronage and provide immediate relief to citizens in electricity and petroleum prices.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said some political and non-political circles were attempting to create the impression that the JI had retreated, but such claims were contrary to reality.
He said the party’s demands were straightforward and clear and that it was waiting for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to return from his foreign visit.
Criticising government expenditure, the JI leader claimed that the Punjab government was purchasing a new aircraft worth Rs11 billion, calling it an indication of the priorities of those in power.
He said around 25 million motorcyclists were struggling with high petrol prices on a daily basis, while the government was passing the burden of what he termed its failures on to ordinary citizens.
He also called on the State Bank of Pakistan to significantly reduce the policy rate to support business and economic activity.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman further alleged that members of the National Assembly were being provided billions of rupees in development funds and other benefits in exchange for political loyalties, describing the practice as political bribery.
He urged the government to curtail what he called lavish expenditures and formulate economic policies that could provide immediate and practical relief to economically vulnerable segments of society.
