LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday cautioned that blocking democratic pathways and labelling political dissent as treason would only deepen the country’s crises rather than resolve them. He urged the “powerful ruling class” to end political manipulation and restrictions, warning that such tactics were eroding public trust.
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Addressing a training camp at Mansoora, Mr Rehman accused the country’s “imposed elite” of denying citizens basic rights, including education, healthcare and justice. He said resisting what he termed an obsolete and unjust system was a religious obligation, and argued that meaningful political change could only come through public support.
The JI chief said Pakistan’s rulers appeared fearful of the new generation, especially Generation Z, and were systematically shutting doors of education and employment. He warned that growing despair among the youth was pushing many towards drug abuse and social alienation.
To counter this, he said the Alkhidmat Foundation and the JI had expanded their “Bano Qabil” skills initiative into a broader youth programme called “Z-Connect”. The project, he noted, aims to provide education, technical skills and moral development to help the younger generation overcome structural barriers.
Referring to Bangladesh, Mr Rehman criticised the repression faced by Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh under the rule of Sheikh Hasina, claiming that public resentment in the country had grown due to political pressures and Indian influence. He said the JI in Bangladesh had emerged as a strong political force despite decades of trials, executions and imprisonment of its leaders.
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The JI emir also stressed the need to avoid sectarian divisions and cultural customs that contradict Islamic teachings, describing such practices as modern forms of idolatry. He further highlighted the denial of inheritance rights for women as an entrenched social injustice, pledging that his party would ensure women receive their legally mandated share.