LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that the largest public gathering in Pakistan’s history to be held at Minar-i-Pakistan from Nov 21 to 23, declaring it a turning point for changing the country’s decaying political and economic system.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Friday, he warned the ruling elite to either return the people’s rights or face a peaceful yet powerful public movement.

“For Jamaat-i-Islami, toppling oppressive governments is not an uncharted territory,” he said.

He announced that leaders of global Islamic movements, representatives of pro-Palestinian organisations, and professionals from around the world would attend the three-day event, which would also host international-level professional conferences.

In the lead-up to the event, 30,000 public committees would be formed nationwide, and a comprehensive mobilisation campaign would be launched to ensure mass participation.

Mr Rehman urged the citizens from across the country to gather at Minar-e-Pakistan and announced that following the event, the JI would lead a nationwide peaceful resistance movement representing youth, women, farmers, workers, and other oppressed communities.

Joined by vice emirs Liaqat Baloch, Dr Osama Razi, Secretary General Ameerul Azeem and other leaders, the JI chief highlighted the dire state of national affairs. “The ruling elite, imposed for the past seven decades, has pushed the country to the brink. The common citizen feels there’s no future left in Pakistan.”

He noted that mafias operate with state protection, 84 of 89 sugar mills were owned by ruling families, and the judicial system had been crippled through the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

“Those who are themselves disqualified are handing out disqualification certificates,” he said, calling the amendment’s architects criminals in the eyes of the people and history.

Mr Rehman also criticised the class-based education system, lack of employment opportunities for youth, and poor working conditions for labourers. He highlighted that less than 10pc of the country’s 80m workers enjoyed basic rights.

“Programmes like Benazir Income Support are being used for political gain,” he added and stressed the lack of safety and dignity for working women and the need for revolutionary reforms in the agricultural sector, predicting that IT exports could rise from $3/4bn to $15bn with the right policies.

The JI leader vowed that the voices of oppressed people from Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would echo from Minar-e-Pakistan.

“We will represent the victims of dacoits in Sindh, the oppressed in Balochistan, and those affected by unrest in KP,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2025