Jamaat-e-Islami announces sit-ins across Pakistan

LAHORE: Following the announcement of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief, the party announced protests on major highways across Pakistan as the government failed to implement Rawalpindi Agreement, ARY News reported on Friday.

During an emergency meeting at Mansoorah, attended by party leadership from central and provincial cities online, JI Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticized the government for only taking “cosmetic measures” in the past 45 days.

He emphasized that JI rejects these superficial steps and will hold sit-ins on key highways this Sunday [September 29].

Hafiz Naeem demanded immediate relief on electricity bills for the entire country and urged the government to implement uniform tariffs based on the actual cost of production.

He also called for practical actions concerning Independent Power Producers (IPPs) agreements, instead of mere public statements.

Earlier to this, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan announced nationwide sit-ins starting from September 29 to push for a reduction in electricity prices.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, the JI chief Hafiz Muhammad Naeem highlighted the ongoing ‘Haq Do Awam Ko’ movement, aimed at providing relief to the public, particularly in the soaring electricity bills.

Hafiz Naeem stated that JI had previously organized a 14-day sit-in in Rawalpindi and a nationwide shutter-down strike, which was well organized in the history of Pakistan.

The government had signed a written agreement with the party, promising to address their demands within 45 days, as the deadline now passed, Hafiz Naeem announced the next phase of movement.

The sit-ins will be held across major highways in Pakistan, and from October 1 to 7, the party plans to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon. After that, the movement will transition into a resistance campaign.