MINGORA: Stressing the need for introducing sweeping educational reforms under a uniform curriculum and language to promote national unity and equality, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on 03-August-2025 reiterated his party’s resolve to build a state that prioritises peace and makes education its central pillar.
Addressing the graduation ceremony of 1,200 young boys and girls held under the “Bano Qabil Programme” at Wadudia Hall, Saidu Sharif, here, he said that if given the opportunity, Jamaat-e-Islami would enforce a single education system across the country to bridge social divides.
The ceremony was attended by a large number of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and Al-Khidmat Foundation, including Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan’s general secretary Syed Waqas Anjum Jafri, JI KP North head Inayatullah Khan, general secretary Muhammad Haleem Bacha, Al-Khidmat KP President Fazal Mahmood, general secretary Dr Khalid Farooq, JI Swat Ameer Hamidul Haq, Al-Khidmat Foundation Swat president Ziaullah Khan and former MNA Ayesha Syed.
Highlighting Pakistan’s educational crisis, Hafiz Naeem said 26.2 million children in the country are out of school, including 5.5 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.
He criticised the government for outsourcing education, neglecting the construction of new schools and failing to upgrade dilapidated infrastructure despite a hefty KP education budget of Rs.363 billion. “Outsourcing schools is a clear sign of privatising education,” he said, adding that education is not charity but a constitutional right of every citizen which must be secured.
He lamented that while the state collects taxes, it fails to provide employment or security. “Political parties only agree when it comes to increasing their perks and salaries, while the public is being crushed by poverty, inflation and unemployment,” he said, pointing out that 44percent of Pakistanis currently live below the poverty line.
Terming Jamaat-e-Islami’s “Bano Qabil Programme” a revolutionary initiative for youth empowerment, he announced that one million youngsters will be given IT education over the next two years – with or without government support. He further announced the expansion of the programme to include home-based women so they can acquire skills, earn a dignified livelihood and play a productive role in the economy.
Speaking on the energy crisis, Hafiz Naeem accused successive governments since 1994 of being complicit in corrupt IPP agreements, pointing out that the nation pays Rs1,500 billion annually to private power producers without receiving electricity in return – a national tragedy.
He said that Jamaat-e-Islami aims to make the IT sector the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, stressing that with the right policies, the sector could generate up to $1,500 billion annually.
Concluding his address, Hafiz Naeem announced he would return to Swat on August 31 to take further steps for skill development among local youth, urging them to join hands with Jamaat-e-Islami. “Change will not come through slogans. To transform the country, the youth must support Jamaat-e-Islami so we can uproot this rotten system,” he added.
Published in News Daily on 04-August-2025.
