Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned against marching towards Parliament House if demands were unmet as the religiopolitical party’s sit-in against high electricity bills entered its eighth day on Friday.

“The government is not taking any serious decisions regarding the IPPs and from tomorrow [Saturday], a protest will also start in Karachi,” he told his supporters. Rehman urged the people to refrain from paying their electricity bills as a form of protest.

The JI chief, who is currently in Doha, Qatar to attend the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, addressed the Liaquat Bagh protest via video link.

“The electricity bills issue is not a political matter, but a public issue,” he stated, criticising the government’s “approach.”

Rehman accused the US and Western powers of not allowing Haniyeh’s government to function, suggesting that those looking towards America are “doomed to darkness.” He praised Qatar for taking the lead in organising Haniyeh’s funeral and burial.

He added that he planned to return to Friday night and joined the protest in Lahore on Saturday. He accused the government of imposing unfair taxes on the salaried class and called for relief measures, such as the use of smaller vehicles instead of large ones, and imposing taxes on feudal lords.

The politician criticised the government’s reluctance to engage in negotiations, warning that the protests would continue to grow, leading to the blockage of major highways. Rehman also mentioned that the party was in contact with the country’s business community for support.

Sit-in enters eighth day

The sit-in protest organized by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against inflation in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi has entered its eighth day, with the participants remaining resolute in their demands for relief. The influx of people to the protest site continues.

The Jamaat-e-Islami sit-in at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi has now entered its 8th day, and the flow of people to the protest site is ongoing. The police have also recently deployed additional personnel at the protest location.

The participants of the protest performed the Fajr (dawn) prayer in the congregation in the morning. The protesters and the staff of Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) carried out cleaning and maintenance activities at the protest site. Announcements were made from the stage, urging everyone to keep the area clean.

On the other hand, JI leader Liaqat Baloch, is scheduled to hold a press conference at around 11:30 am.

The protesters remain determined to have their demands met, as the sit-in demonstration against the rising cost of living in the country continues.

JI leader Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman stated that the protest had completed 7 days, and the government had thought the protesters would come for just a day or two, but the workers have shown that the protest is growing day by day.

He said the protest has become the center of hope for the entire nation, and Jamaat-e-Islami has started a decisive struggle. The protest is growing, and public contact is also improving. The first phase of the ‘Give Rights to the People’ movement is to get electricity bills reduced.

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Rehman said that the privileged class wants to sell off all the country’s institutions. If anyone tries to invest, they have to face the bribery of the institutions. This protest has been given to end the system of oppression.

He stated that the rulers are protecting thieves, dacoits, and themselves. The PPP made IPP agreements in 1994, Pervez Musharraf, PPP and PML-N favored the IPPs, and thousands of billions of rupees were squandered. Even the PTI government also favored the IPPs. The protest will not end until the IPP issue is resolved.