Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami Announces New Protests After Agreement with Government
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, leader of Pakistan's Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), has announced plans for new protests, just days after the party postponed its two-week-long demonstration in Rawalpindi.
Naeem, speaking to the media, stated that JI is considering joining forces with trader groups to organize peaceful protests. Consultations with traders are ongoing, and the party is exploring various options for collaboration.
This announcement comes after JI agreed to delay its 14-day sit-in last week following negotiations with the government. The talks addressed demands such as reducing high power tariffs and reassessing contracts with independent power producers (IPPs). These IPPs have been criticized for contributing to high utility bills due to large capacity payments.
However, the JI chief warned that the sit-in has only been deferred, not canceled. The party will resume the protest if the government fails to honor the agreement reached during the negotiations.
The agreement was signed by Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi after discussions between a JI delegation led by Liaquat Baloch and the government team.
During a press conference, Naeem criticized the ruling elite for exacerbating the country's law and order issues. He pointed to the lack of peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, and the prevalence of thieves and bandits in Sindh. He also noted the worsening situation in Punjab compared to earlier times.
Naeem acknowledged the need to expand the tax base but criticized the government for burdening the already inflation-stricken population with additional taxes, particularly impacting traders and industrialists. He urged the government to reduce taxes on the salaried class and warned of further protests if the agreement is not honored.
With only 40 days remaining in the government's term, Naeem emphasized that the party has various protest options at its disposal.