KARACHI: Central Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday inaugurated a two-day business exhibition “My Brand Pakistan” at the Expo Centre and said that the ruling elite is afraid of ‘Generation Z’, while the youth cannot be left at the mercy of circumstances. He maintained that, apart from Jamaat-e-Islami, no other political force is ready to embrace Generation Z. He said the journey of My Brand Pakistan is progressing rapidly. He noted that Alkhidmat’s free IT courses initiative, Bano Qabil, has emerged as the country’s largest and most successful Generation Z program, with more than 1.2 million students registered so far. Launched in Karachi, the project has now expanded across Pakistan. He congratulated the Business Forum on successfully organising the fourth edition of the exhibition, featuring 280 companies and 700 brands. Referring to Israel’s aggression, he said a global boycott campaign against Zionist products has begun. Alongside this boycott, Pakistan must promote its own products as alternatives, which would benefit local industries. He urged Pakistani industrialists to improve product quality while keeping prices as low as possible. Rehman announced that all income generated from My Brand Pakistan will be used for Palestinian relief. He said Jamaat-e-Islami and Alkhidmat have so far sent 40 relief consignments worth billions of rupees to Gaza. He alleged that the establishment committed a grave injustice against the people of Karachi by snatching Jamaat-e-Islami’s mandate. He warned that worsening conditions could leave people without even an option of escape, urging lessons to be learned from regional developments. Highlighting Karachi’s issues, he said the city’s infrastructure is in ruins and development projects remain incomplete. He accused the PPP-led Sindh government of setting new records of corruption and incompetence, claiming corruption has reached 71 percent. He said the PPP is unwilling to devolve powers to the grassroots level, adding that Pakistan needs a change of oppressive systems, not merely a change of faces. Rehman announced that after Karachi and Lahore, the My Brand Pakistan exhibition will be held in Islamabad in April, while preparations are underway in Peshawar, Faisalabad and Gujranwala. Efforts are also being made to expand it into a brand for the entire Muslim world, with plans to organize similar programs in Turkey, Dhaka and other Muslim countries. He said the initiative was inspired by the sacrifices of Palestinians, stating that more than 80,000 Palestinian elders, children, women and youth have been martyred. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026