LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday said the party’s nationwide sit-ins and protests would continue despite talks with a government delegation on measures to provide relief to people facing inflation and high petroleum prices.
“Sit-ins will continue and negotiations will also take place,” Naeem said after meeting a government delegation led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal at the JI headquarters in Mansoora.
The delegation included Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.
Naeem said the JI’s protest campaign had entered its 19th day and expanded from three cities to around 15 to 20 locations across the country.
“We have said that the sit-ins will continue. The talks will be more meaningful if the protests continue,” he said.
The government delegation said it was prepared to consider JI proposals aimed at providing relief to ordinary citizens and would hold further discussions with officials from the Finance Ministry, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Petroleum Ministry.
Ahsan Iqbal said the government did not want any situation that could lead to unrest or provide an opportunity for Pakistan’s enemies to exploit internal tensions, particularly as the country was already fighting terrorism.
He thanked the JI leadership for hearing the government’s position and said the party had assured the delegation that it would not make any demand that could harm the national interest or create difficulties for the public.
Rana Sanaullah said the government was also focused on reducing the burden on ordinary people following the increase in petroleum prices amid the Iran-US conflict.
He said the government welcomed JI proposals aimed at making relief measures more effective and was ready to engage with the party through relevant officials.
“The government is ready to sit with the JI’s team through officials from the FBR, Finance Ministry and, particularly, the Petroleum Ministry,” Sanaullah said.
He said the government would share relevant details with the JI team and seek consensus on measures that could provide relief to consumers.
Sanaullah also recalled that consultations with the JI had previously contributed to improvements in the electricity sector and said the government was willing to consider the party’s recommendations again.
JI demands remain unchanged
Naeem, however, made it clear that the JI’s demands remained unchanged.
He said the party was protesting against inflation, high petroleum prices, the petroleum levy and expensive electricity, arguing that ordinary citizens were bearing a disproportionate share of the country’s economic difficulties.
“The purpose of our protest is to bring down inflation and provide relief to the common man,” he said.
The JI chief said the campaign was not driven by political or personal interests and that the party was not seeking an election-related advantage.
He claimed that around 90 to 95% of Pakistan’s population was struggling to meet basic needs, while more than 40% of people were living below the poverty line, citing government and international reports.
Naeem particularly criticised the petroleum levy, saying consumers were being burdened with substantial taxes and levies on fuel.
He questioned the continued collection of the levy despite the government’s earlier stated objectives of using the funds to improve refinery capacity and fuel storage.
According to Naeem, around Rs8 trillion had been collected through the levy since its introduction, raising questions over why the burden on consumers continued to increase amid economic and geopolitical difficulties.
He also criticised capacity payments to independent power producers, saying consumers were being made to pay for electricity that was not actually being generated.
The JI chief called for renegotiation of agreements with IPPs and changes to arrangements governing LNG regasification terminals, arguing that payments should be linked to actual utilisation rather than capacity.
Four key demands
Naeem said the JI had four key demands: abolition of the petroleum levy, reduction in petroleum prices, renegotiation of IPP agreements to lower electricity costs, and measures to reduce the prices of flour and bread.
“The petroleum levy should be abolished and petroleum prices should be reduced,” he said.
He also called for a reduction in the price of bread, saying the government should ensure that essential food items remained affordable for low-income families.
Naeem said the government had already reduced the price of diesel following earlier discussions but maintained that further measures were needed to bring down fuel prices.
The JI chief thanked traders and citizens who participated in the nationwide strike and said the party would continue its campaign until its demands were addressed.
The government’s engagement with the JI comes as the party’s protest movement has expanded across the country.
The JI had announced a nationwide shutter-down strike for September 3 and warned that the campaign could be expanded to Islamabad if the government failed to provide relief to the people.
