Karachi(The OOW News Digital )Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has rejected calls for Sindhudesh, saying that no slogan advocating the creation of a separate Sindhi state would be allowed to prevail in Pakistan. He also declared that his party would not recognize any group or political faction that rejects the ideological foundation of the country.
Addressing participants at Jamaat-e-Islami’s ongoing sit-in at Faisal Chowk on Lahore’s Mall Road, Hafiz Naeem said the protest represented an effort to transform public frustration into a collective voice against what he described as injustice and economic hardship.
He said the demonstrators were raising their voices against oppression and expressed confidence that their struggle would eventually achieve its objectives. According to Hafiz Naeem, the ongoing campaign was also aimed at increasing political awareness among the people and encouraging them to stand against policies that place an additional financial burden on ordinary citizens.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader said negotiations with the government were scheduled to take place in Islamabad the following day. He maintained that his negotiating team had completed its preparations and would be willing to move the discussions forward if the government demonstrated seriousness.
Hafiz Naeem demanded an end to what he termed “economic terrorism” and strongly opposed the petroleum levy, saying additional financial pressure on citizens could not continue.
He also criticized Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over remarks he described as inappropriate and accused her administration of damaging the province’s education system. He further alleged that thousands of schools in Punjab had effectively been placed on the path toward privatization or sale.
Speaking about the broader political situation, Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami’s campaign was not limited to opposition against a particular policy but was part of a larger movement seeking systemic change.
He claimed that Pakistan’s political system continued to be dominated by influential landlords and feudal elites, regardless of whether the country was under military rule or a civilian democratic setup.
Hafiz Naeem alleged that such groups had repeatedly deprived ordinary citizens of their right to participate meaningfully in governance and relied on institutional power to maintain their influence.
He reiterated that any group opposing Pakistan’s ideological foundations could not be accepted, stressing that slogans calling for the country’s division had no place in Pakistan.
Jamaat-e-Islami has been holding protests and sit-ins in several cities for the past 22 days against the petroleum levy, inflation and what it describes as rising economic pressure on the public.
