Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Hafiz Naeem said the government itself admits that many of its economic decisions are being made under pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), repeatedly acknowledging that Pakistan remains trapped in the lender’s grip.
He argued that increases in electricity, gas, and fuel prices directly affect ordinary citizens, while the government has turned the petroleum levy into its largest source of revenue.
According to him, the funds collected through the levy are not being spent for the purposes for which they were originally imposed.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief questioned what measures had been proposed in the budget to reduce capacity payments in the power sector, calling the government a “masterpiece of incompetence.” He further claimed that the same privileged class has been ruling Pakistan for the past 79 years.
Hafiz Naeem alleged that Pakistan’s total debt has exceeded Rs85 trillion and said more than Rs800 billion would be spent on debt servicing in the upcoming fiscal year, a burden he said would ultimately fall on the country’s poor.
He maintained that agricultural inputs had become increasingly expensive, leaving farmers in a difficult position.
He demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and proposed limiting official government vehicles to engines of 1300cc or below as a cost-cutting measure.
The Jamaat leader also alleged annual corruption of Rs1.2 to Rs1.3 trillion within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), urging judges of the superior judiciary and other state institutions to set an example by reducing their privileges and perks.
While emphasizing that the public is willing to make sacrifices for essential defense expenditures, he argued that unnecessary benefits and privileges should be withdrawn, saying the current system continues to place an unfair burden on ordinary citizens.
Referring to the 26th Constitutional Amendment, Hafiz Naeem said it envisages the elimination of the interest-based financial system by December 31, 2026, and urged the government to take practical steps toward achieving that goal.
He also criticized the government’s decision to increase salaries by seven percent, claiming that poverty had risen by eight percent during the same period.
Calling for immediate economic relief, he demanded the abolition of the petroleum levy and urged the government to reduce electricity tariffs for industry to nine cents per unit.
Hafiz Naeem announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would hold consultations over the next two days before unveiling its future course of action.
He appealed to the public, particularly the youth, to join the party’s movement, warning that large-scale protests and road blockades could be organized.
Commenting on the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he said the entire nation was concerned about recent developments there. He stressed that such incidents do not occur suddenly and called for dialogue rather than confrontation.
He alleged that election results from Gilgit to Karachi had often been manipulated to produce desired outcomes, citing Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent complaints about alleged electoral irregularities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Hafiz Naeem claimed that the PPP itself had benefited from similar practices in Karachi.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief said his party was ready to play a constructive role in resolving issues in Azad Kashmir and maintained that neither violent protests nor forceful crackdowns offered a sustainable solution.
Welcoming recent developments involving the Joint Action Committee, he said Jamaat-e-Islami would establish contacts with both the governments of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, as well as the committee’s leadership, in an effort to facilitate dialogue.
He expressed hope that both the government and the Joint Action Committee would respond positively to the party’s mediation offer, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami remained in close contact with its leadership in Azad Kashmir.
