ISLAMABAD: Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, the Ameer (head) of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI), has departed for Qatar to attend the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, the martyred head of the Palestinian freedom fighter group Hamas.
According to media reports, Liaquat Baloch, the head of the Jamaat-e-Islami negotiation team, has become the acting Ameer of the party during Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman’s absence.
Speaking to the media, Acting Ameer Liaquat Baloch criticized taxes on the salaries of private and government employees as unacceptable. He noted that the JI sit-in protest against inflation and high power tariffs in Rawalpindi has entered its second week, garnering strong support from the public. Baloch emphasized that protests and rallies are integral to political discourse in Pakistan.
He also called for a forensic audit of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), stating that their agenda should focus on public interest rather than personal gain. Baloch mentioned that under his leadership, the negotiation team has completed two rounds of talks and has thoroughly communicated their concerns to the government’s technical committee.
Addressing protesters the previous day, JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman stated that while JI workers could easily mobilize to D Chowk to press their demands, the leadership prefers to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the police.
