Addressing a public gathering in Mingora, Hafiz Naeem congratulated party workers and supporters, saying the strike had demonstrated growing public support for the Jamaat-e-Islami’s campaign.
He said young people had launched a “historic struggle” and the movement was gaining momentum across the country. According to him, traders in Karachi had laid the foundation for the strike, while people in cities across interior Sindh also took to the streets.
Hafiz Naeem claimed that the strike was successful across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while business activities remained completely suspended in the Malakand Division.
He said the Jamaat-e-Islami’s campaign represented the voice of ordinary people, accusing the government of making life increasingly difficult for citizens. He said people were struggling to afford basic necessities, travelling had become difficult and high electricity bills had placed a heavy burden on households.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also criticised the petroleum levy, saying it had pushed fuel prices to extremely high levels. He claimed that higher petrol prices had contributed to an increase in the prices of essential commodities and alleged that motorcyclists were paying taxes equivalent to 35% of the petrol price.
Hafiz Naeem alleged that people had previously been unaware of the petroleum levy and accused the rulers of putting additional financial pressure on citizens to fund their own luxuries.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami workers had raised public awareness about economic issues and recalled the party’s protest against independent power producers (IPPs) two years ago, claiming that the campaign had resulted in relief for consumers.
According to Hafiz Naeem, the government had argued that agreements with IPPs were necessary because of prolonged load-shedding. However, he claimed that consumers were ultimately being made to bear the cost of electricity generation, as well as the loans and interest associated with IPPs.
He alleged that successive governments had entered into unfair agreements with IPPs since 1994 and claimed that power companies were also being paid even when they did not generate electricity.
Hafiz Naeem said families were struggling to pay their children’s school fees and afford two meals a day, while some women were being forced to sell jewellery to pay electricity bills.
“Jamaat-e-Islami does politics on public issues, not on dead bodies,” he said.
He also recalled the party’s 14-day sit-in on Murree Road against IPPs, saying the government initially refused to accept its demands but later reached an agreement with the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Hafiz Naeem claimed that as a result of the sit-in, electricity prices were reduced by up to 30%.
He said the party would continue its campaign over rising inflation, electricity costs and petroleum prices, warning that failure in negotiations with the government could lead to a broader movement aimed at bringing the government down.
