LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Wednesday criticised the ruling elite, calling them a group without any vision, focused solely on corruption and exploitation.

Speaking at a certificate and laptop distribution ceremony under the `Bano Qabil` programme organised by Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan at the Expo Centre, he said the government`s policies and propaganda by certain ele-ments are causing despair among the country`s youth.

He said that if resources are directed towards people, Pakistan could make progress within a few years.

Highlighting the potential of the IT sector, he stated that focusing on IT alone could boost the country`s annual exports from the current $3.2 billion to $10 billion. However, he lamented that the government is unwilling to serve the people, as `mafias` have been controlling the countryfor the past 77 years.

Rehman pointed out thatsince 1994, successive governments have favored Independent Power Producers (IPPs), granting them tax exemptions and capacity charges amounting to Rs3,000 billion annually.

He vowed that the JI would take back resources from the ruling elite and make the public their rightful beneficiaries.

He announced nationwide protests against costly electricity and IPPs on January 17, urging the public to join the demonstrations.

Addressing the importance of empowering youth, the JIchief said the second phase of free IT courses under the `Bano Qabil` programme would commence in Lahore on February 23.

He expressed the party`s vision to train one million children in Punjab over the next two years. He also called upon youth to become ambassadors for `Bano Q abil` initiative.

Rehman reiterated the party`s demand for a uniform education system and curriculum across the country, saying it is the government`s responsibility to provide quality and free education, which is a fundamentalright of the people.

He stated that the programme, which started in Karachi with over 50 campuses offering free IT courses, has now expanded to all provinces, including remote areas of Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab.

The JI emir noted that Pakistan is a country of young people, with 80 per cent of its population under the age of 40.

`We will not let the youth lose hope; we will secure the country`s future through education and empowerment,` he affirmed.