Wheel-jam, shutter-down strike to be followed by Islamabad march: Hafiz Naeem

LAHORE, August 23, 2026: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has categorically said that his party will not become part of any grand opposition alliance, ARY News reported.

Speaking to journalists in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the JI would fight the people’s case through its own political platform for a change in the system.

He said past alliances had caused more loss than benefit to the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Hafiz Naeem said the sit-in would be long and testing and the government would have to come to the JI to seek an end to the protest.

He said the party had received an invitation for talks in Islamabad, but negotiations could not be held behind closed doors in Islamabad while sit-ins were taking place in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar.

The JI chief said the strategy for a nationwide shutter-down strike would be announced on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal.

He said after a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, the party would launch a decisive march towards Islamabad.

Earlier, Hafiz Naeem had announced the next phase of the protest movement, saying protest camps would now be established in all districts across the country.

He announced a nationwide strike on Thursday, 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal, followed by a long march towards Islamabad.

Hafiz Naeem alleged that mafias had first made money by importing sugar and would now make money by exporting it. He said flour prices had increased by 62% over the past year.

The JI chief said negotiations with the government would not be about ending the sit-in. Instead, talks would focus on how the levy “extortion tax” could be abolished.