ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has said that Pakistan is suffering from an oppressive system and the parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are engaged in staged confrontations to secure their own interests and benefits.
Addressing a press conference here, he said that the government acknowledged that the budget was prepared under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pressure. The government admitted that Pakistan remained tightly bound by the IMF conditions, he added.
The Jamaat amir stated that increases in electricity, petrol, and gas prices have a direct impact on the public, while the government has made the petroleum levy its largest source of revenue. He added that farmers are facing severe difficulties and described the budget as nothing more than an exercise in manipulating figures.
Hafiz Naeem demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and called for government officials to use vehicles with engine capacities of no more than 1,300cc. He also alleged that corruption worth Rs1.2 to Rs1.3 trillion takes place annually within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief said that the public is willing to make sacrifices for anything essential to the country's defense. However, he claimed that funds collected through various levies are not spent for their stated purposes.
Questioning the government, he asked what measures had been proposed in the budget to reduce capacity payments in the power sector.
Hafiz Naeem argued that Pakistan has effectively been ruled by the same elite class for decades. The country’s debt has risen to Rs85 trillion, while more than Rs8 trillion will be spent on debt servicing.
He maintained that the burden of these payments ultimately falls on the poor and middle classes.
Calling for a strong movement against capitalism, he said many citizens are unaware of how their rights are being undermined. He criticised the allocation of just 0.8 percent of the budget to education and expressed concern over the outsourcing of schools and hospitals.
He added that government employees are struggling, while the condition of workers in the private sector is even worse. Questioning the government's priorities, he asked what relief the budget offers to ordinary citizens and low-income families.