LOWER DIR: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has criticised the governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying it has been reduced to hollow slogans, while people continue to suffer lack of access to health, education and basic rights.

Addressing a public gathering in Upper Dir under the “Badal Do Nizam” campaign on Sunday, he said that outsourcing government schools and hospitals instead of improving them was a clear reflection of the government’s incompetence.

He said the burden of taxes and loans is continuously being shifted onto the public, adding that national debt has surged from Rs55 trillion to Rs85 trillion in just four years, with an additional Rs20 billion being borrowed daily.

He criticised heavy taxation on petroleum products, claiming that up to Rs153 per litre is being collected in taxes and demanded that petrol prices be reduced to Rs250 per litre.

Addresses rally in Dir under ‘Badal Do Nizam’ campaign

The gathering held at the Dir Cricket Stadium was also addressed by the JI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa North chief Inayatullah Khan, district emir Sahibzada Fasihullah and others, while former lawmakers were also in attendance.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that for 79 years the public has been deceived through slogans and symbols, while the bureaucracy still operates under a colonial mindset, treating citizens as subjects rather than masters.

He termed the judicial system “rotten”, stating that access to justice for the poor has become nearly impossible. He alleged that feudal elites and powerful classes evade taxes and protect each other, while the common man bears the entire burden and added that mafias in IPPs, gas, sugar and flour sectors have gripped the economy.

He criticised the governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for failing to deliver, particularly in the education sector where millions of children are out of school.

He announced that Jamaat-i-Islami, upon coming into power, would introduce a uniform and free education system to eliminate class disparity.

He further stated that the party aimed to recruit 5 million new members nationwide and establish 50,000 public committees, alongside organising youth elections to promote constructive engagement instead of violence.

He highlighted that 1.4 million youth were currently receiving IT training under the “Bano Qabil” programme, which would be expanded.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also made it clear that ensuring women’s inheritance rights is mandatory, stating that anyone denying women their share will not be eligible for party membership.

He invited PTI workers to join hands, emphasising that Jamaat-i-Islami seeks to bring systemic change through public support and establish a truly democratic and welfare-oriented system.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2026