JI chief calls for resumption of talks between govt, PTI

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Monday called for immediate resumption of talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), rejecting governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and announced nationwide Gaza solidarity marches to mark October 7. Speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq on the prevailing international and domestic situation, he demanded the immediate release of women and ailing elderly PTI leaders and called for Imran Khan to be given access to hospital treatment, meetings and all other legitimate facilities in accordance with the Constitution and law. He also warned that the JI would resume its long march to Islamabad if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy. Naeemur Rehman announced Gaza marches across the country on Wednesday, saying the party would intensify its solidarity and relief efforts for Palestinians. He said the massive Gaza March in Karachi had demonstrated the city’s support for the people of Gaza. He said JI had always raised its voice for oppressed Palestinians, while the Alkhidmat Foundation had so far provided aid worth about Rs10 billion to the people of Gaza. The JI chief said Israel had failed on every front on Oct 7 but had resumed bombing Palestine with US support. He criticised the United States for providing Israel with billions of dollars despite its claims of championing human rights. He alleged that US President Donald Trump had provided Israel with dangerous bombs that former president Joe Biden had not supplied. “No performance of the so-called Peace Board is visible, ” he said, citing international media reports that the United States was preparing to provide Israel with about $2. 8 million more worth of bombs. Naeemur Rehman said that despite the ceasefire, Israel had martyred 1, 500 Palestinians and injured 5, 000, while at least 10, 000 bodies remained under the rubble. He said Hamas’s struggle had contributed to an unprecedented wave of public support for Palestine in Western countries, where people were raising their voices against their own governments. “America killed countless people by lying in various global issues, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and established hundreds of military bases around the world. Today all Zionist forces stand with Trump, ” he said. Turning to domestic issues, Naeemur Rehman described the government’s petroleum relief package as “a drop in the ocean”, saying it did not provide adequate relief to the public. He said the government repeatedly claimed that seven million people had been included in the package, while Pakistan had 25 million motorcycles and more than four million vehicles up to 1, 000cc and 1, 200cc. The government had restricted the relief to vehicles up to 800cc, he said, while not all motorcyclists could benefit from it either. As a result, he added, the relief was not reaching a large section of the population. “Unfortunately, apart from the JI, no political party is talking about this important public issue, ” he said, adding that the government had announced the package as a result of the JI’s continued struggle and pressure. “If the government fears cheap petrol will also reach rich people, the solution is to make a separate system for the rich and double the petrol price for big vehicles, ” he said. Instead of announcing relief packages, he urged the government to correct its policies and abolish the petroleum levy altogether. He said the JI had made its “final argument” to the government and demanded an end to what he called an “extortion tax” in the name of the petroleum levy. He also called for the facts regarding independent power producers (IPPs) to be placed before the public and questioned why negotiations were not being held with the remaining 73 IPPs. “The entire population of Pakistan is being ruined to benefit a few bank owners and stakeholders, ” he said, adding that people associated with IPPs were present in all political parties. He said the JI’s campaign against the petroleum levy was not motivated by personal interest but was directly linked to a public issue. Naeemur Rehman said the JI was a peaceful political party and that its protests, rallies and signature campaign against the petroleum levy were continuing. He said the party had never withdrawn its right to march to Islamabad and warned that it would restart the long march if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy. “Our entire programme is ready; only the announcement remains, ” he said, adding that the JI would announce its next course of action after Oct 7. The JI chief said the party was also expanding its educational initiatives, claiming that for the first time in Pakistan a political party was establishing free IT education centres at its offices instead of merely raising slogans. He said the scope of Bano Qabil had been expanded and a modern institute had been established in Lahore to provide free IT education to Pakistani citizens as well as people from Gaza. JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar was also present at the press conference. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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