JI announces nationwide sit-ins, million march

LAHORE: Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan announced nationwide sit-ins on September 29 to push for a reduction in electricity prices, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

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.

Hafiz Naeem also stated that from October 23 to 27, they will seek public opinion on whether to stop paying electricity bills if the prices remain high.

He added that Jamaat-e-Islami has the option to call for a nationwide strike and could escalate the movement into a million march, potentially leading to a long march to Islamabad.

He warned the government that their movement would be unstoppable if their demands were not met.