JI warns govt of stepping up street protests if masses not given relief

The JI chief warned the government to understand the situation in advance, saying that the party’s movement would intensify if the rulers failed to provide relief to the people. He said the sit-in in Batkhela had turned into a major public rally, while protests and sit-ins were also continuing in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that JI had brought people together across the country and was campaigning for their rights. He criticised the government’s economic policies, particularly its stance on interest rates, and alleged that the authorities were reluctant to take decisions that could displease the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“Even a slight reduction in the interest rate can save billions of rupees from the national treasury,” he said. The JI emir also alleged that the banking, sugar, flour and independent power producer (IPP) sectors were operating as mafias in collusion with one another and benefiting at the expense of the public.

He said such interests existed across political parties and that the issue was not limited to any single political group., workers from other political parties were also joining the JI-led movement. He criticised the rulers for failing to reduce government expenditure, saying his party had urged them to use smaller vehicles but they were unwilling to listen.

He further claimed that the government had lost the argument at the negotiating table with JI. If relief was not provided to the people, he warned, decisions would be made on the streets and the party could launch a movement seeking to oust the government.

Referring to the Sharif brothers, Hafiz Naeem said Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif were facing difficult circumstances. He added that JI’s leadership and workers remained united, with no distinction between the party’s leadership and its rank and file.