LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced the relaunch of protests and demonstrations against rising petrol and electricity prices, promising to unveil a detailed plan of action within the next two days.

He has issued a warning, saying that if the government failed to provide relief to the people, the protests could escalate into a full-scale movement to topple the government.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Tuesday, Mr Rehman warned the Pakistani government against becoming a party to the Abraham Accords or taking any steps toward recognising Israel. He said any such move would provoke a powerful resistance movement led by the JI. He condemned Israel’s brutal aggression in Gaza, stating that “backed by the United States, Israel is behaving like a rampaging elephant, crushing humanity.”

The JI chief criticised the Pakistani rulers for decades of subservience to the US, saying they were chasing Trump’s approval while failing to stand up for the oppressed Palestinians.

He criticised the absence of local government structures in Punjab and Balochistan and condemned the poor performance of rigged local governments in Sindh and Balochistan. He said the Form-47-installed rulers were hoarding all power and resources while refusing to devolve authority to grassroots levels.

“The so-called major ruling and opposition parties, who chant the slogan of democracy, have shown no interest in empowering local governments.”

He announced that after welcoming two million new members, the JI had initiated the formation of 30,000 public committees across the country. “Once this target is achieved within the next month or so, the party will announce its next course of action.”

Speaking on the race for reserved seats, the JI leader said all major parties – both government and opposition – had disregarded democratic and ethical principles, grabbing seats that rightfully belong to the PTI.

He reiterated JI’s longstanding stance that these seats belonged to the PTI and recalled that the party had opposed the controversial 26th Amendment, which weakened the judiciary.

“Opposition parties that supported the amendment have tarnished their legacy,” he said.

He added that Karachi and Sindh are under the grip of a rotten system that had now been shifted to Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025