Tomorrow’s nationwide shutter-down strike will be a decisive step to force the govt to provide relief to traders & general public: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman

LAHORE, August 27 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that tomorrow’s (August 28) nationwide shutter-down strike will be a decisive step to force the government to provide relief to traders and the general public.

During a visit to the Hall Road camp on Tuesday, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman addressed the media, calling on traders to remain united and resist the government’s attempts to create divisions within their ranks.

He emphasized that solidarity is crucial for both their own rights and the rights of the public, reaffirming JI’s commitment to holding the government accountable for the agreement reached after their 14-day sit-in protest.

The JI established the Hall Road camp as part of their efforts to mobilize traders and the general public in support of the strike. During his visit, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman met with representatives of various trader organizations, who expressed their full support for JI’s call for a nationwide shutdown.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticized the government’s newly proposed “trader-friendly” scheme, labeling it as an enemy of traders. He explained that instead of fair, income-based taxation, the government proposed taxes based on market assessments, which traders view as unjust. While traders are willing to contribute to the expansion of the tax net, they reject what they see as an inequitable scheme.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also called on the ruling elite to curb their extravagant spending and impose taxes on feudal lords to generate revenue for the national exchequer. He stated that JI has already presented measures to strengthen the economy and protect the interests of traders and the public. However, the government appears reluctant to make the right decisions, continuing to target the already burdened poor, salaried class, and business community.

To push for public relief, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman emphasized the need for a peaceful resistance movement, which led JI to announce the strike after consulting with traders. He also indicated that JI would unveil its next steps after further discussions with traders, potentially announcing more strikes if the government remains unresponsive.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also challenged former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, urging him to reveal how much the Sharif family has benefited from the national exchequer through capacity charges on their Independent Power Plants (IPPs). He criticized Nawaz for portraying himself as a savior by offering what he described as token relief to the people of Punjab amidst skyrocketing power tariffs. He argued that the entire country could benefit from reduced electricity costs if the Sharif family and their associates relinquished the capacity charges they receive from their IPPs.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman reiterated JI’s demand for nationwide relief from electricity tariffs and called for a forensic audit of the IPPs. He appealed to the public to ensure the strike’s success.

In addition, Rehman condemned the recent acts of terrorism in Balochistan, denouncing those who target innocent people based on ethnicity as agents of foreign agendas aimed at destabilizing Pakistan. He called for strict action against such elements, with the involvement of Balochistan’s true leadership, stressing that the government’s responsibility is to protect its citizens.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also condemned an announcement by an Israeli minister regarding the construction of a Jewish prayer space inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He stated that the Muslim Ummah would resist such actions. He said Israel is targeting the people of Gaza due to the weakness of Muslim world leaders.