JI Emir says Pakistan’s inclusion in Gaza Peace Board unacceptable
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says Pak’s 250 million people ‘not sheep and goats’ to unquestioningly accept whatever decisions the rulers made
GWADAR+ PESHAWAR ( Web News )
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday rejected Pakistan’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s so-called Gaza Peace Board, saying such a move was unacceptable under any circumstances and had been taken without consulting the nation or even the federal cabinet.
Addressing the annual convention of members and candidates of Jamiat Talaba Arabia at Markaz-e-Islami, Peshawar, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said that Pakistan’s 250 million people were “not sheep and goats” to unquestioningly accept whatever decisions the rulers made. He questioned why such a major policy decision was taken without parliamentary debate. He said Pakistan was facing a severe governance crisis and stressed that lasting peace in the region was not possible without the restoration of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. Calling for dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul, he said military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the merged tribal districts were not a solution. He added that Afghan soil must not be used for terrorism against Pakistan and that improved Pak-Afghan ties were the key to regional stability.
The JI chief questioned the basis on which Pakistan’s participation in the Gaza board had been decided, asking whose advice had been sought. He said the nation was still paying the price for policies adopted during the Musharraf era, particularly Pakistan’s participation in the US-led war, which, he said, rendered the western border insecure, fuelled terrorism, led to the establishment of US military bases, caused countless civilian and security personnel casualties, and inflicted billions of dollars in economic losses.
He said that successive governments blamed their predecessors while continuing policies of appeasement. The current rulers, he added, once again flattering Trump who he said was openly threatening to disarm
Hamas and deprive Palestinians of their right to self-defence. He warned the government to act with caution, saying that while Jamaat-e-Islami did not want Pakistan to clash with any global power, national sovereignty and territorial integrity could not be compromised.
“Pakistan is a nuclear power, and the US cannot harm it,” he said.
Calling for dialogue with Afghanistan, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman urged the government to take tribal elders, religious scholars, traders and other influential segments into confidence. He said the Afghan people should also recognise that Pakistan’s nation was not responsible for past policies, adding that Pakistanis had hosted Afghan refugees for decades and that the people of both countries shared mutual affection.
Commenting on the domestic situation, the JI chief said the ruling elite was unwilling to grant rights to the people. He said around 27.5 million children were out of school, healthcare facilities across provinces—including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—were in poor condition, and despite official claims, the economy continued to decline amid rising unemployment and inflation.
Referring to the Gul Plaza fire incident, he said it had exposed the performance of the Pakistan People’s Party, which had ruled Sindh for 17 years. He said that despite electoral defeat, a “forced mayor” had been installed in Karachi with the support of the PML-N, JUI-F and state institutions. He announced that a million march would be held in Karachi on February 1 against the city’s problems and imposed rulers.
The JI Emir said the entire system had become obsolete and that the country could not progress without fundamental change. He urged religious scholars and madrassa students to play a unifying role for the Muslim Ummah and to join Jamaat-e-Islami’s struggle for systemic reform.
Unemployment and deprivation from education are the primary causes of frustration in Baluchistan
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that unemployment and deprivation from education are the primary causes of frustration and anger among Balochistan’s youth, stressing that the province’s problems cannot be resolved through military operations but by ensuring education, jobs, and constitutional rights for the people.
Addressing a Bano Qabil ceremony organized by Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan in Gwadar, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman called for lifting restrictions on border trade with Iran and resolving the long-standing issue of missing persons. He said peace cannot be established in Balochistan through force, and that denial of rights naturally breeds resentment against the state.
Thousands of boys and girls appeared in entry tests for free IT courses under the Bano Qabil program. Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Emir Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch also addressed the ceremony.
The JI chief congratulated Alkhidmat Foundation on the initiative and announced that under the expanded Z-Connectprogram, youth will be provided not only free IT education but also technical training and interest-free loans. He said Bano Qabil has now been broadened into Z-Connect, which also includes moral training and promotion of sports among youth.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman highlighted that nearly 50 percent of school-age children in Balochistan are out of school. “When unemployment prevails and the Baloch people are denied their rights, anger against the state is a natural outcome,” he said, adding that problems cannot be solved at gunpoint and that people must be given their due rights.
He said restrictions on border trade have created immense difficulties for the people of Gwadar and other border areas, demanding constitutional protection for cross-border trade in the province. He emphasized that the first right over Balochistan’s resources belongs to its people, criticizing what he termed an imposed elite for controlling resources and perpetuating an outdated system. “The entire system is rotten and must be changed,” he said, urging Baloch youth to join Jamaat-e-Islami in the struggle for systemic reform.
Terming Z-Connect a revolutionary initiative, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami is doing its part within available resources and is striving for the rights of youth across the country. “If Balochistan’s problems are resolved, Pakistan will progress,” he said. He pointed out that while around 150,000 jobs are available in the province, nearly four million youth are unemployed. “When there is economic deprivation and people’s loved ones go missing, how can the public be expected to fully abide by the law?” he questioned, adding that safeguarding the Constitution is primarily the responsibility of those who govern the state.
He recalled Jamaat-e-Islami’s long march for the rights of Balochistan’s people and vowed to continue the struggle, urging the people of the province—especially the youth—to actively participate in the movement for change.