JI Chief Calls AJK, Balochistan Situation Alarming, Demands Urgent Government Response

JI Chief Calls AJK, Balochistan Situation Alarming, Demands Urgent Government Response

LAHORE, July 13: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman has expressed deep concern over the situations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Balochistan, urging the government to immediately recognize the gravity of the crises and take practical steps to resolve them.
Addressing the concluding session of the JI’s two-day Majlis-e-Shura meeting at Mansoorah, he vowed to continue the protest movement against high electricity prices, the petroleum levy, and inflation, while reaffirming unwavering support for the people of Palestine and Iran.
The two-day Central Majlis-e-Shura meeting was attended by male and female members from across Pakistan. Participants reviewed the country's political, economic and international situation, organizational matters, and approved a series of decisions regarding the party's future political and public strategy.
Rehman said the petroleum levy, soaring electricity tariffs, and exploitative independent power producer (IPP) agreements had imposed an unbearable financial burden on the public, making life increasingly difficult for ordinary Pakistanis. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would further organize its nationwide protest campaign and continue its struggle until meaningful relief was provided to the people.
The JI chief described the prevailing situations in AJK and Balochistan as extremely alarming, stressing that national issues could not be resolved through propaganda or perceptions alone. He urged policymakers to understand the sentiments and grievances of local populations and formulate policies based on ground realities, research, and public surveys. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue to play a constructive role in promoting national unity and resolving regional challenges.
Referring to international affairs, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman reiterated Jamaat-e-Islami's continued support for the Palestinian cause, calling it a matter of principle for the party. He said the party had also adopted a principled stance during the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, emphasizing that Jamaat-e-Islami would continue raising its voice for oppressed people across the Muslim world and beyond.
Criticizing the Punjab government's education policies, he opposed the outsourcing of public schools, arguing that education should remain a national responsibility rather than a commercial enterprise. He said that millions of children in Punjab remained out of school, farmers were facing severe hardships, basic health centres were being privatized, and poverty was increasing despite growing public spending. He questioned the provincial government's decision to purchase an aircraft worth Rs11 billion, asking how such an expenditure would benefit ordinary citizens.
Rehman maintained that Pakistan, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, was suffering from poor governance and administrative failures. He said genuine societal change required sustained struggle, public education, patience and perseverance rather than short-term measures. Citing the teachings of Jamaat-e-Islami founder Abul A'la Maududi, he said lasting reform could only be achieved through gradual ideological and social transformation.
He also congratulated party workers on the success of Jamaat-e-Islami's recent membership campaign, saying further organizational measures would be introduced to strengthen the party's public outreach and grassroots network.