In a bid to turn the heat up a notch, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a series of protests starting with a march towards Islamabad on August 8, Thursday, from Liaquat Bagh, where it has been holding a sit-in for twelve days.
Meanwhile, the protests will continue with a sit-in in Lahore on August 11 and another in Peshawar on August 12, followed by a nationwide shutdown call immediately after August 14 (Independence Day).
The announcements were made during a press conference by JI leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman at the protest site.
Speaking on the occasion, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated, “We are here to seek relief, not to topple the government. Our demands must be met.” He added that the Lahore sit-in should ideally take place in front of the Chief Minister’s House.
Referring to the tragic Fall of Dhaka in 1971, he said, “General Yahya Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and Sheikh Mujib were responsible for the tragedy. We are here to claim our rights, not to incite violence.”
In allusion to the ouster of Bangladesh’s longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Hafiz Naeem quipped, “In Bangladesh, the prime minister received a helicopter [to flee the country]; let’s hope you at least get an ambulance if needed and can reach the airport.”
He further demanded that those involved in the controversial agreements with the IPPs be placed on the ECL.
Meanwhile, JI Deputy Leader Liaqat Baloch stated that the government has reached out for negotiations once again. “We are open to dialogue but firm on our demands,” he stated.
JI Lahore leader Raziuddin Ansari, along with JI Central Punjab Chief Muhammad Javed Kasuri and other officials, confirmed that the Lahore sit-in would take place outside the Chief Minister’s House.
Talks
Meanwhile, the third round of negotiations between JI and government teams ended on Tuesday with an agreement to reconvene on Wednesday (today), announced Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar.
The talks, which lasted for an hour, were attended by key government figures, including Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Adviser to the Prime Minister Amir Muqam, and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, along with the secretary of Power Division.
The JI delegation was led by Deputy Leader Liaqat Baloch, with secretary-general Ameer-ul-Azeem, Farasat Shah, and Nasrullah Randhawa also in attendance.
It is pertinent to note that the JI’s ongoing sit-in at Liaquat Bagh Chowk in Rawalpindi entered its twelfth consecutive day on Tuesday, with additional supporters from various parts of the country joining the protest.
The demonstration is centred around demands against high electricity bills, excessive taxation, agreements with IPPs, rising petrol and gas prices, and general inflation.
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