- Says both ‘Mr’ and ‘Maulana’ camps joined hands for 26th Amend but it produced nothing except ‘judicial subservience’
- Says same drama begun over 27th Amendment, and once again, it will end in exploitation of people
- Claims over 5m children still out of schools in KP alone while education budgets of Rs1,200b lost corruption
SWAT: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the country’s political leadership, saying Pakistan “needs education, not constitutional amendments,” as millions of children remain out of school and billions in education funds are allegedly lost to corruption every year.
Addressing more than thirty-five thousand young participants at the “Bano Qabil” programme test in Kabal, Swat, Hafiz Naeem said the rulers had “exploited the youth by depriving them of education,” noting that over five million children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone were out of school. He said provincial governments’ education budgets—exceeding Rs 1,200 billion annually—were routinely swallowed up by corruption.
The JI emir linked the country’s political turmoil to what he called a “crisis of priorities,” recalling that during the 26th Constitutional Amendment, both the “Mr.” and the “Maulana” camps “joined hands,” but the entire political maneuvering produced nothing but “judicial subservience.” “Now, the same drama has begun over the 27th Amendment, and once again, it will end in the exploitation of the people,” he remarked.
Criticising the provincial government over its handling of the education sector, he said that despite twelve years of rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ruling party had failed to bring any substantial reforms. “Public schools are in a state of neglect, and education has been turned into a business, depriving children from poor families of opportunities to progress,” he added.
Hafiz Naeem maintained that genuine change in Pakistan would come only through education and awareness among the youth. He urged young people to unite and demand their rights “through knowledge and integrity.”
Reaffirming Jamaat-e-Islami’s commitment to advocating for the people, he said the party would “continue to fight for their rights while lighting its own candle of hope.” He urged the government to end the commercialization of education and ensure free, quality education for the new generation so Pakistan could move toward “real development and prosperity.”
