Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Monday condemned recent police encounter deaths as extrajudicial killings Pakistan can no longer treat as routine, alleging they were used to protect the real perpetrators rather than deliver justice.
Speaking at a news conference in Lahore, he said suspects in high-profile cases were being killed instead of being produced before the courts. He argued that such killings raise serious questions about the rule of law and the health of the country’s justice system.
Cases he put at the centre of his charge
Hafiz Naeem pointed to two recent matters: Laiba Ijaz, a gold medallist from the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), and Waseem Abbas, a 15-year-old orphan. In both, he said, suspects were eliminated in police encounters rather than held to account through legal process.
On the Laiba Ijaz matter, he referred to the killing of the main accused after firing on a police team in Islamabad. He said the person involved in the fraud against Laiba had not necessarily acted alone, and claimed that killing suspects helps conceal those truly behind the crime.
On the Waseem Abbas case, he said the episode pointed to deeper problems linked to feudalism, capitalism and the sway of powerful people. He alleged that ties to influential figures and government officials allow some actors to operate without fear of accountability.
What he said about CCD encounters and the state
Framing the CCD encounter controversy as part of a wider breakdown, Hafiz Naeem said extrajudicial killings show that anarchy has spread across the country. He alleged that a small group of powerful individuals was acting without accountability and that such measures were meant to suppress public anger.
“The real culprits are being concealed by killing the suspects,” he said. He also asked, rhetorically, whether killing thousands in extrajudicial encounters could fix a system of oppression affecting millions—underscoring his view that force is no substitute for reform.
He accused powerful groups and mafias in sectors including flour, sugar, banking, oil marketing and land of exploiting the present order. Police encounters, he said, cannot replace an effective justice system, and authorities were failing to ensure accountability through legal channels.
Courts, the economy and what JI plans next
Hafiz Naeem said the rule of law requires working judicial institutions that hold criminals to account through due process. He urged the government to address public grievances and ensure justice is delivered in the courts, not through encounters.
Turning to the economy, he criticised government policies and called for cuts in extravagant spending. He alleged that banks and refineries were aligned against ordinary citizens’ interests, and questioned progress on the constitutional commitment to end interest-based financial practices by 1 January 2027.
He said JI would launch a long march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government does not abolish the petroleum levy.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hafiz Naeem ne kaha hai ke police aur CCD ke muqablon mein suspects ko maar dena mawaray-e-adalat qatal hai. Unhon ne Laiba Ijaz aur Waseem Abbas ke cases ka zikr kiya, jahan un ke mutabiq asl mumzimoon tak pehnchne se pehle suspects khatam kar diye gaye. Un ka kehna hai ke asl qasoorwaron ko bachane ke liye aisa kiya ja raha hai. Aam shehri ke liye un ka nuktah yeh hai ke insaf court mein hona chahiye, encounter mein nahi—aur petrol levy na hatai to JI mid-November mein long march kar sakti hai.
