JI announces ‘Haq Do Pakistan Ko’ movement from Sept 1

QUETTA: Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that the “Haq Do Pakistan Ko” movement will begin on September 1. A nationwide strike will be held on August 28, demanding reductions in electricity prices and taxes.

He made this announcement while addressing a meet-the-press event at the Quetta Press Club on Tuesday. Among the attendees were President of the Quetta Press Club Abdul Khaliq Rind, Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi, MPA Gwadar Maulana Hidyat-ur-Rehman, Secretary of the Quetta Press Club Banaras Khan, and others. Hafiz Naeem stressed that the issue of missing persons in Balochistan needs to be addressed. He stated that while rulers can stop protests, they cannot restrict thoughts. If public issues are not resolved, hatred against the state will increase.

He mentioned that the ruling class will only understand the suffering of the families of missing persons if someone from their own family goes missing. If the prime minister, chief minister, or Army Chief want people to adhere to the Constitution, it is their primary responsibility to abide by the law themselves. The people of Balochistan have a preferential right to the province’s gas and minerals. The Kachi Canal project should be completed, and solar panel projects should start at both macro and micro levels. If the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline is completed, it could meet 30% of the country’s energy needs.

“We are not against CPEC, but it should benefit local people. If the trawler mafia in the sea continues to grow, what will become of local fishermen? The national economy can only improve by promoting the fishing industry,” he said. He also added that border trade should be regulated, and if any military or non-military personnel are involved in illegal activities, action should be taken. The Chaman border issue should be resolved.

The Ameer stated that unrest in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a major national issue and expressed concern about how conditions will improve. “Surprisingly, the prime minister himself admits that people cannot afford to pay electricity bills, yet he does not answer why the bills are not reduced,” he questioned. He further stated that Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are squeezing the hard-earned money of the public through capacity charges, and it has been discovered that these private electricity producers were granted a tax exemption of Rs1,200 billion. A few individuals, landlords, and bureaucrats are involved in the worst forms of exploitation and looting of the public.

“We are starting a peaceful national resistance movement to rid ourselves of these exploiters and restore people’s rights. The ‘Haq Do Balochistan Ko’ movement is also part of the ‘Haq Do Pakistan Ko’ movement, which will launch a membership drive at the national level from September 1, focusing especially on the youth and women. The supremacy of the Constitution and democratic freedoms are top agenda items.”