JI chief warns govt against joining Abraham Accords
He condemned Israel's brutal aggression in Gaza, stating that 'backed by the United States, Israel is behaving like a rampaging elephant, crushing humanity.' He criticized the rulers for decades of subservience to the US, saying they are chasing Trump's approval while failing to stand up for the oppressed Palestinians. He called on Islamic and human rights–oriented nations to adopt a clear and uncompromising stance against Israeli aggression and American support for it.
The JI chief announced the re-launch of protests and demonstrations against rising petrol and electricity prices, promising to unveil a detailed plan of action within the next two days. He warned that if the government fails to provide relief to the people, the protests could escalate into a full-scale movement to topple the government.
Rehman criticized the absence of local government structures in Punjab and Balochistan, and condemned the poor performance of rigged local governments in Sindh and Balochistan. He said the Form-47 installed rulers are hoarding all power and resources while refusing to devolve authority to grassroots levels. 'The so-called major ruling and opposition parties, who chant the slogan of democracy, have shown no interest in empowering local governments,' he said.
He announced that after welcoming 2 million new members, Jamaat-e-Islami has initiated the formation of 30,000 public committees across the country. Once this target is achieved within the next month or so, the party will announce its next course of action.
In response to a question on the race for reserved seats, he said all major parties — both government and opposition — have disregarded democratic and ethical principles, grabbing seats that rightfully belong to PTI. He reiterated JI's longstanding stance that these seats belong to PTI and recalled that the party had opposed the controversial 26th constitutional amendment, which he said weakened the judiciary. 'Opposition parties that supported the amendment have tarnished their legacy,' he said.
He added that Karachi and Sindh are under the grip of a rotten 'system' that has now been shifted to Islamabad. 'Fake rulers have been imposed on the nation through Form-47.
'In Karachi, where MQM couldn't even win a single polling station, all seats were distributed between PPP and MQM. Today, the city has no one to speak for its people,' he lamented, pointing to the recent building collapse that killed 27 people, with debris still uncleared.
He demanded that the opposition raise its voice over real public issues and questioned the government's performance in education and healthcare. 'In Punjab alone, 13,000 schools have been outsourced. The education budget of over Rs2,000 billion is being lost to corruption.'
Answering journalists' questions, Rehman criticized the Punjab Assembly Speaker's move to disqualify public representatives, calling it undemocratic. He expressed concern over reports extrajudicial killings in Punjab, saying such actions have no place in any civilized society. He said the Punjab government has played a destructive role in the collapse of agriculture and the ruin of small farmers.
Calling Hamas a symbol of legitimate resistance, he declared that Israel has failed both in Gaza and in its designs against Iran. He praised Iran's consistent refusal to recognize Israel, referring to it only as 'Occupied Palestine.' He urged Pakistan's rulers to show similar moral courage.
Rehman rejected any two-state solution as a part of Pakistan's policy on Palestine and criticized leaders who issue pro-Trump statements for political gains. 'Let them tell us — what came of Trump's offer to mediate on Kashmir?' he asked, adding that US history is a record of hypocrisy and betrayal. He reiterated Jamaat-e-Islami's principled position that any dialogue or mediation on Kashmir outside the framework of the right to self-determination is unacceptable.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
24 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
PA speaker forms committee to negotiate opposition suspensions
Listen to article Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has constituted an eight-member negotiation committee to address the issue of references filed against suspended Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members, Express News reported. The development follows an initial consultative meeting between Speaker Khan and 26 suspended MPAs of PTI over disqualification references filed against them. The committee includes chief whip Rana Arshad, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Samiullah Khan, and Ahmad Iqbal. Additional representation comes from allied parties with Ali Haider Gillani from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Chaudhry Shafay Hussain from the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), and Shoaib Siddiqui from the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).also named to the body. Sources further revealed that the opposition is expected to submit its nominees to the speaker today. The opposition delegation may include Opposition Leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar, Parliamentary Leader Ali Imtiaz Waraich, PTI Lahore President Sheikh Imtiaz, Ejaz Shafi, and other senior members. The second round of talks between the government and opposition committees is scheduled for Sunday at 4:30 pm at the Punjab Assembly. Both sides are expected to finalise their recommendations for the negotiation framework by the end of the day. Read: Punjab MPAs may strike decorum deal Key representatives from both treasury and opposition benches are likely to establish Terms of Reference (ToRs) in the coming days, aimed at regulating the future proceedings of the Punjab Assembly and discouraging humiliation, abusive exchanges and violent conduct between lawmakers. The list of suspended PTI MPAs includes: Malik Fahad Masood (PP-13), Muhammad Tanveer Aslam (PP-19), Syed Riffat Mehmood (PP-24), Yasir Mehmood Qureshi (PP-25), Kaleem Ullah Khan (PP-60), Muhammad Ansar Iqbal (PP-73), Ali Asif (PP-75), Zulifqar Ali (PP-76), Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary (PP-99), Shahid Javed (PP-115), Muhammad Ismael (PP-116), Khayal Ahmad (PP-118), Shahbaz Ahmad (PP-130), Tayyab Rashid (PP-141), Imtiaz Mehmood (PP-155), Ali Imtiaz (PP-156), Rashid Tufail (PP-175), Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203), Khalid Zubair Nisar (PP-231), Chaudhry Muhammad Ejaz Shafi (PP-258), Samia Kanwal (PP-260), Muhammad Naeem (PP-263), Sajjad Ahmad (PP-265), Rana Aurang Zaib (PP-276), Shuaib Ameer (PP-281), and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar (PP-282). Both sides reportedly agreed to form a joint committee of senior members to make the consultation process more effective and to explore constitutional, legal and parliamentary solutions to the impasse. It is worth mentioning that Speaker Khan had received disqualification references against these currently suspended MPAs under Article 63(2) read with Article 113 of the Constitution. It is his constitutional obligation to decide on these references within 30 days, as stipulated in the said provisions.
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
'All Crew Muslim': ships look to dodge Red Sea attacks with messages
Commercial ships still sailing through the Red Sea are broadcasting messages about their nationality and even religion on their public tracking systems to avoid being targeted by Yemen's Houthis after deadly attacks this week by the militia. The Red Sea is a critical waterway for oil and commodities but traffic has dropped sharply since Houthi attacks off Yemen's coast began in November 2023 in what the Iran-aligned group said was in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war. The group sank two ships this week after months of calm and its leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi reiterated there would be no passage for any company transporting goods connected to Israel. In recent days more ships sailing through the southern Red Sea and the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait have added messages to their AIS public tracking profiles that can be seen when clicking on a vessel. Messages have included referring to an all-Chinese crew and management, and flagging the presence of armed guards on board. "All Crew Muslim," read one message, while others made clear the ships had no connection to Israel, according to MarineTraffic and LSEG ship-tracking AIS data. Maritime security sources said this was a sign of growing desperation to avoid attack by Houthi commandos or deadly drones — but they also thought it was unlikely to make any difference. Houthi intelligence preparation was "much deeper and forward-leaning", one source said. Vessels in the broader fleets of both ships attacked and sunk by the Houthis this week had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, shipping analysis showed. Maritime security sources said even though shipping companies must step up due diligence on any tangential link to Israel before sailing through the Red Sea, the risk of attack was still high.
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Punjab MPAs may strike decorum deal
Listen to article Key representatives from both treasury and opposition benches are likely to establish Terms of Reference (ToRs) in the coming days, aimed at regulating the future proceedings of the Punjab Assembly and discouraging humiliation, abusive exchanges and violent conduct between lawmakers. The development follows an initial consultative meeting between Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan and 26 suspended MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over disqualification references filed against them. Both sides reportedly agreed to form a joint committee of senior members to make the consultation process more effective and to explore constitutional, legal and parliamentary solutions to the impasse. It is worth mentioning that Speaker Khan had received disqualification references against these currently suspended MPAs under Article 63(2) read with Article 113 of the Constitution. It is his constitutional obligation to decide on these references within 30 days, as stipulated in the said provisions. Accordingly, the speaker had summoned the suspended MPAs for a hearing under Article 10-A of the Constitution by July 11 (yesterday) in his chamber at the Punjab Assembly. A reliable source, speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said that the speaker's move to suspend 26 MPAs and subsequently refer the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) served a dual purpose: first, it helped dispel perceptions within his party of him favouring the opposition; second, it brought the opposition to the negotiating table under the pretext of the disqualification reference, thereby creating space to frame mutually agreed-upon TORs. The source added that the meeting atmosphere was cordial, and a second round of talks may be held on Sunday or the following day. Both sides may nominate three or four members each to form the joint committee tasked with drafting TORs to ensure that members refrain from abusive, humiliating, or violent conduct. A key point being considered is that every member should be heard respectfully in the House, without interruptions, before any responses are made. If the opposition still feels compelled to protest, they may do so in line with democratic parliamentary norms and without resorting to derogatory language or physical disruption. The treasury is still debating whether the TORs should specifically mention Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz by name, ensuring that her speeches, along with those of Leader of the Opposition Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar and others, proceed without disruption, or whether the document should adopt a broader principle stating that all members' speeches are to be respected and disruptions will be dealt with strictly. According to the source, the opposition may find it difficult to remain calm during Maryam Nawaz's speeches. However, they are expected to acknowledge that while protest is their democratic right, they do not support abusive or violent conduct. In future sessions, they may restrict protests to their designated benches rather than assembling in front of the speaker's dais. First round of meeting During the first round of talks chaired by Speaker Khan in his chamber, treasury representatives and the suspended PTI MPAs, led by Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, proposed initiating mutual dialogue. The speaker welcomed this proposal warmly. Speaker Khan began the meeting by referencing past political regimes and then stressed the importance of democratic conduct within the assembly. "Dialogue and consultation are the essence of parliamentary democracy. Every disagreement can be resolved through a positive, dignified, and constitutional approach," the speaker said. Both sides demonstrated a willingness to set aside their differences and proceed in accordance with democratic norms. Background Speaker Khan has often been viewed as sympathetic to the opposition, regularly allowing their members sufficient time to speak during proceedings, including on points of order. He has also been noted for at times taking a stern tone with treasury members. Over time, this approach led to a growing perception among treasury lawmakers that the speaker was disproportionately favouring the opposition. They argued that he should limit the opposition's floor time and adopt a more stringent posture. However, Speaker Khan maintained that it was necessary to carry both sides along and that taking punitive action on minor infractions was not appropriate. While his conciliatory approach was appreciated by the opposition, it created unease within the treasury benches. Eventually, the treasury began ignoring the opposition's protests and disruptions in the House, especially during speeches by CM Maryam Nawaz. At times, opposition lawmakers were even seen confined to their seats rather than protesting in front of the speaker's dais. The speaker and the treasury had long urged the opposition to maintain peace and decorum during the chief minister's addresses. However, the opposition appeared to take advantage of the speaker's leniency, praising his neutrality while continuing to disrupt proceedings during Maryam Nawaz's speeches, despite assurances to the contrary. This tension peaked during the recent budget session. On June 27, when CM Maryam Nawaz delivered her address, the opposition appeared especially aggressive, possibly emboldened by the Supreme Court's decision on the reserved seats issue. Speaker Khan was under pressure to maintain order, while the treasury expected the opposition to honour past understandings. However, the apex court's ruling changed the atmosphere drastically. The opposition left no stone unturned in disrupting the CM's speech, prompting the speaker to move forward with disqualification references. The speaker's decision to initiate the references attracted public criticism, with many arguing that PTI had already been politically cornered. Several PML-N lawmakers also advised the speaker to resolve the matter within the assembly, rather than escalating it to the ECP.
