LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced countrywide protests and sit-ins on Jan 31 against the rising electricity tariffs and warned the government of peaceful resistance if attempts are made to disrupt the demonstrations.

Addressing a press conference in Multan on Tuesday, he asserted: “We have given the government enough time, but to no avail. Now, it must reduce electricity prices or get ready for a nationwide movement.”

Rejecting the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), Rehman termed it an attack on freedom of expression and a tool to suppress public dissent. He assured journalists of JI’s full support in their fight against the law. He hailed the return of millions of Gazans to their homes as a historic milestone. He criticised US President Donald Trump’s plan to evacuate Gaza as a conspiracy thwarted by the Palestinians’ timely resistance.

“The Palestinians have proven that wars are won not by weapons but by faith,” he said.

He also called on Pakistani leadership to learn from the resilience of Palestinians and pursue independent policies instead of succumbing to Washington’s dictates.

The JI leader criticised the government’s alleged neglect of Kashmir, claiming that its focus on western borders had left the Kashmiri struggle isolated. He warned against conspiracies to drag Pakistan into a conflict with Afghanistan under foreign agendas.

Rehman condemned the government for its anti-agriculture policies, particularly in Cholistan, where he said corporate farming was exploiting small farmers.

“Thousands of acres of land and canal water are being diverted to powerful individuals. If the government truly wants to develop barren lands, it should allocate them to educated youth, tenants, and small farmers,” he said, adding the ongoing exploitation of farmers in Punjab must be exposed.

He said the Punjab government had betrayed wheat farmers last year and now oppressing sugarcane farmers by failing to ensure fair prices for their crops, calling it collusion between the sugar mafia, feudal lords, and the government.

He urged the Punjab government to provide subsidies to small farmers instead of engaging in token measures like distributing tractors.

The JI emir criticised the government for failing to pass on the benefits of saving billions through renegotiated Independent Power Producer (IPP) agreements to the public.

“We are relaunching our protest movement to force the government to provide relief,” he declared. He further highlighted the disparity in Pakistan’s tax system, pointing out that salaried individuals paid Rs243 billion in taxes over the past six months, a figure expected to reach Rs500 billion annually. Whereas feudal lords pay a mere Rs4bn to Rs5bn in taxes.

“Even the IMF demands taxing feudal lords, but the ruling elite, regardless of political party, protect their interests,” he said. Criticising major political parties for neglecting public issues, he noted that members of the PML-N, PPP, and PTI had collectively increased their salaries by 150 per cent. He called for a tax relief for salaried individuals and an immediate reduction in electricity tariffs.

He urged the public to join Jamaat-i-Islami’s movement and participate in the Jan 31 protests to demand justice and economic relief.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025