Jamaat-E-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has criticized federal and provincial governments, claiming that 44 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, while the ruling elite continued to project an illusion of good governance through expensive media campaigns. Going to a press conference on Tuesday at the headquarters of the party in Mansoora, the JI chief denounced the recently announced national budget as "anti-people" while carrying citizens with excessive taxes while offering little relief. He accused the government of using world oil prices as an excuse to increase fuel rates, arguing that a 40 percent reduction in gasoline prices could be achieved if the oil tax was abolished.
"The wastewater spending of the government and the luxurious lifestyles must end if we want to put the country on the path of real development," said. Naeem also criticized the low allocation of funds in the education sector, noting that despite budgetary claims, the privatization of public schools indicated a lack of genuine investment in education. In addition, he criticized political leadership in all provinces, saying: "The uncle governs in the center, the niece in Punjab and her allies in Sindh, all involved in a political struggle party with script with script".
