10 Million Children in Punjab Remain Out of School, Hafiz Naeem Claims

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, has sharply criticized the Punjab provincial government, highlighting rising poverty and the lack of educational access for children despite the Chief Minister’s lavish spending.

Addressing a public gathering, Hafiz Naeem pointed out that the Punjab Chief Minister purchased an aircraft worth Rs11 billion while poverty in the province has increased by 31 percent.

“There is no real development in Punjab; advertisements are being run with taxpayers’ money,” he said, alleging that public funds are being diverted to promotional campaigns rather than essential services.

The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also claimed that nearly 10 million children in Punjab are still out of school. “From the outside it appears as if rivers of milk are flowing in Punjab, but the ground reality is very different,” he added, stressing that education is a constitutional right but has been pushed into a class-based system, depriving many children of access to proper schooling.

Hafiz Naeem further criticized the government for failing to empower local government institutions, saying, “Building a few roads does not solve the problems of the people,” and accused the ruling elite of continuing luxurious lifestyles despite growing poverty.

On the power sector, he highlighted that billions of rupees are being paid annually to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) even when electricity is not generated.

Expressing hope for political change, Hafiz Naeem compared Pakistan’s situation to countries like Palestine, Morocco, and Egypt, saying, “Just as conditions have changed there, the situation in Pakistan will also change.”