JI chief Hafiz Naeem says protests and talks will continue

He said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had created additional difficulties and stressed that everyone wanted relief for the public. He added that the government would consider Jamaat-e-Islami’s proposals regarding the petroleum levy and asked the party to form a team of experts for negotiations.

Rana Sanaullah said Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had listened to the government’s concerns, adding that Jamaat-e-Islami’s objective was also to secure relief for ordinary citizens. He said the Iran war had placed an additional burden on the public.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the sit-ins were not being held for any personal agenda and that the protests had entered their 19th day. He said inflation had made life increasingly difficult for ordinary people. Also read: JI shutter-down strike draws mixed response across Pakistan.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leader demanded an end to the petroleum levy, a reduction in petrol prices and cheaper bread. He argued that rising fuel prices increase the cost of almost everything. He also criticized capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs), saying electricity was not being produced adequately while consumers were still being charged under capacity payment arrangements.

He called the IPP agreements flawed. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the government should provide relief to the public and questioned what would happen if the price of bread were reduced to Rs10 for poorer citizens.

He confirmed that the government delegation had requested postponement of the sit-ins but said the protests would continue alongside negotiations. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also formed a negotiating committee headed by Liaquat Baloch.