By our correspondent
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Saturday inaugurated the two-day “My Brand Pakistan” exhibition at the Karachi Expo Centre, calling for urgent attention to Generation Z and warning that the youth cannot be left at the mercy of circumstances.
Addressing the gathering, Hafiz Naeem said that apart from JI, no political force was ready to take responsibility for shaping the next generation. “The ruling elite fears Generation Z, yet the nation cannot afford to neglect its youth,” he said.
The exhibition, organised by the Pakistan Business Forum, featured 280 companies and 700 brands. Speakers at the inaugural ceremony included Sohail Aziz, President of the Karachi Chapter of the Business Forum; Saqib Fayyaz Magoon, Senior Vice President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry; former Karachi Chamber of Commerce President Javed Balwani; and Arts Council of Pakistan President Ahmed Shah.
Hafiz Naeem toured the exhibition and praised the rapid progress of “My Brand Pakistan,” highlighting Alkhidmat’s free IT project “Bano Qabil,” which has registered over 1.2 million students nationwide. He also announced that all proceeds from the exhibition would support Palestinian relief efforts, noting that Jamaat-e-Islami and Alkhidmat had already sent 40 relief consignments worth billions of rupees to Gaza.
The JI leader criticised government policies, asserting that Karachi’s infrastructure was in ruins and development projects were left incomplete. He accused the PPP-led Sindh government of corruption and incompetence, claiming a 71 per cent corruption rate, and condemned the removal of JI’s mayoralty in the city.
Hafiz Naeem said future editions of the exhibition would be held in Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala, with plans to expand the initiative to Islamic countries worldwide, promoting local brands and strengthening Muslim economies.
He further highlighted global support for Palestine, linking the exhibition’s purpose to ongoing resistance against Israeli aggression and urging Pakistanis to prioritise domestic products over imports. Other speakers praised the exhibition’s success and emphasised the potential for Pakistani brands to achieve international recognition.
Javed Balwani urged citizens to confront challenges within Pakistan rather than emigrate, while Ahmed Shah called on overseas Pakistanis to contribute actively to national development. The event was attended by Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman’s Karachi leadership team, including Monem Zafar Khan, Taufiq-ud-Din Siddiqui, and Zahid Askari.
