Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will hold a nationwide shutter-down strike on Thursday, September 3, demanding the withdrawal of the levy and taxes and a reduction in petrol prices, it was reported on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, Hafiz Naeem said the party would hold a countrywide strike and appealed to people to support its campaign and make the protest successful.
He claimed that more than Rs17 billion had been paid to several independent power producers for electricity that, according to him, was never generated. He urged the people of Pakistan to stand with his party in its struggle and fully support Thursday’s strike.
Hafiz Naeem said the party would also hold protests at five locations in Peshawar. He said there was an option to hold and expand sit-ins in Islamabad and Rawalpindi but stressed that Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its protests peacefully.
He accused what he called the sugar, IPP, tax and sugarcane mafias of benefiting at the expense of ordinary people. He said the sugar industry benefited whether sugar was exported or imported, while the public was left struggling with rising prices.
The Jamaat chief said inflation had increased by 11.2 percent but complained that major journalists had failed to give proper coverage to the public sit-in during the previous 18 days.
He also criticised a newspaper report which, he said, claimed that petrol prices had been increased because of Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest. He said such reporting did not meet the standards of journalistic responsibility.
Hafiz Naeem said that, in contrast, electricity prices had been reduced by Rs16 following the sit-in. He argued that this development should also have been reported in the same context.
Turning to political issues, he questioned whether those associated with Form-45 would be able to create new administrative units. However, he said any division of the country into new provinces or administrative units must follow the constitutional process.
He also warned against creating conflict between Sindhis and Muhajirs, saying such divisions should not be encouraged.
Hafiz Naeem further questioned which political side the Pakistan Peoples Party was serving, saying Jamaat-e-Islami knew what he described as its “A team”. He added that he would have become mayor if Jamaat-e-Islami had been aligned with the PPP.
He also criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf officials, saying those holding positions in the party were themselves damaging PTI.
Govt forms committee to hold talks with JI
The government has formed a committee to hold talks with Jamaat-e-Islami over the party’s ongoing sit-in, according to sources. A government delegation will meet Jamaat-e-Islami officials at Mansoorah in Lahore tomorrow, sources said.
The delegation will include the Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah and Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The talks are expected to focus on the party’s demands and its protest campaign.
