LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has reiterated that the 26th Amendment is a measure aimed at undermining judicial independence, announcing that JI will challenge it in court.

Presiding over a central leadership meeting at Mansoora on Friday, he also pledged that the JI would resist privatisation of government schools in Punjab, as well as national enterprises, including Pakistan International Airlines.

Rehman condemned the recent Mastung terrorist attack, praying for the deceased and wishing a swift recovery for the injured.

He expressed regret over the rise in terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, stating that, rather than ensuring citizens’ safety and establishing peace, the government is focusing on attacking the constitution and serving personal interests.

The ruling coalition, he asserted, has left citizens at the mercy of terrorists.

The JI emir also criticised the government for raising petroleum prices despite a global decrease.

He said the rulers are exploiting the poor while claiming economic progress, achieved at the expense of heavier costs on essential commodities.

He demanded that the government provide relief on petrol and electricity prices, abolish the petroleum levy, and cancel unjust agreements with independent power producers.

Vows to resist privatisation moves

He vowed that JI would continue its protest until these agreements were terminated.

“The constitutional amendment will not stand. Lawyers oppose this government’s attempt to make the judiciary subservient, and JI will approach the higher judiciary to counter this unjust move,” Mr Rehman said.

He lamented the state of education over the past 77 years, noting the absence of Pakistani universities among the world’s top 200. He highlighted that private schools have grown at the expense of public institutions.

“Education is a fundamental right. The government plans to hand over more than 14,000 schools to the private sector,” he said, adding that despite provinces collectively spending over Rs 2,000 billion on education, students remain underserved.

He remarked that the same challenges afflict the healthcare and law enforcement sectors. He advised the youth to abandon thoughts of emigrating, stressing that such an escape is not a wise solution.

Instead, he called for a peaceful movement to free the country from the grip of mafias.

He also announced that the JI membership campaign would continue until Nov 30.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2024