JI Chief vows nation-wide protests will continue

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announced that the party will hold a massive rally in Lahore today, reiterating that protest sit-ins will continue across the country as demonstrations enter their eighth day in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Sunday, the JI chief outlined the party’s next moves, stating that a nationwide strike will be called on Rabi-ul-Awal 13, followed by a long march toward Islamabad.

He criticized the government for imposing heavy taxes, stating that citizens are forced to pay exorbitant petroleum levies daily, with taxes amounting to Rs 130 per liter—including an Rs 80 petroleum levy.

Rehman lamented that despite the tough economic conditions, various mafias continue to burden the public while the government drops “petrol bombs” on the masses. Essential food items, including flour, pulses, and vegetables, have slipped out of the common man’s reach, he added.

Emphasizing the party’s motives, Rehman stated that JI took to the streets for the public, not out of a desire for political maneuvering. He announced plans to set up additional protest camps nationwide to further expand the movement.

Criticizing the ruling elite, he accused them of squeezing the blood of the people while refusing to give up their own luxuries. He demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prohibit government officials from using vehicles larger than 1300 CC, maintaining that sit-ins will continue until all demands are met.

Addressing agricultural issues, Rehman highlighted that farmers in Punjab are struggling, as sugar mill owners refuse to buy their crops, and cotton target achievements in the province have failed to reach even 50 percent.

He declared both the Federal Government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Punjab Government under Maryam Nawaz complete failures, dismissing claims that protests were driving up fuel prices as narrative pushed by government supporters.