BATTAGRAM: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday said Pakistan couldn’t progress under what he described as an exploitative system, urging citizens to strive for establishing a just socio-economic order.

Addressing a public gathering here, Rehman announced the launch of a countrywide protest movement titled ‘Nizam Badlo’ (Change the System) after Eidul Azha, alongside a public outreach campaign set to begin on April 25.

He criticised the ruling elite for what he termed their indifferent attitude towards public suffering, saying that citizens faced prolonged electricity outages and soaring inflation.

“People are enduring hours-long loadshedding and unbearable price hikes, but those in the corridors of power were oblivious to their hardships,” he said.

The JI chief called for a collective struggle against feudalism, dynastic politics, monopolistic control by powerful institutions and an interest-based economic system.

Asking citizens seeking justice and accountability to join his party, he said the JI’s doors were open to all.

Touching on international developments, Rehman claimed that the United States was facing internal challenges and declining influence following its war against Iran.

He also expressed support for the resilience of the Iranian and Palestinian people.

The JI chief urged the country’s leadership to prioritise national dignity in foreign policy decisions, advocating neutrality and cautioning against close alignment with Washington.

“Any mediation between Iran and the US must safeguard Pakistan’s interests. The public will not accept any role that reduces the country to an American colony,” he said, adding that both the government and opposition had failed to adequately condemn Israeli actions in Gaza.

Highlighting economic challenges, Rehman said the country’s interest-based financial system was crippling the economy.

He claimed that nearly 45 per cent of the national budget, which was around Rs17 trillion, was consumed by debt servicing, while heavy taxation on petroleum products further burdened the public.

About the power sector, the JI emir said that despite sufficient generation capacity, the country continued to face up to 12-14 hours of loadshedding.

He said that agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) and RLNG contracts were not in the public interest.

On governance and public services, Rehman complained that a considerable segment of the country’s population lived below the poverty line and lacked access to justice due to expensive legal procedures.

Referring to the large backlog of court cases, he attributed delays to lack of merit in judicial appointments and systemic inefficiencies.

The JI leader criticised Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan governments for their “poor performance” in education, health sectors and the worsening law and order.

He noted that thousands of children in Battagram remained out of school and that basic health facilities were inadequate.

Rehman urged the youth to actively participate in the upcoming protest movement, calling for grassroots mobilisation through public committees and membership drives.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2026