Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has announced a series of countrywide demonstrations in protest against inflation and the government’s agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), which have led to high electricity bills.
During a sit-in on Rawalpindi’s Murree Road, Hafiz Naeem revealed that the protests will begin with a sit-in outside Karachi’s governor house, followed by additional demonstrations in Lahore and Multan.
The announcement follows JI’s warning to escalate the protests if the government did not meet their demands. The sit-in has entered its fifth day after the government failed to attend the second round of negotiations on Monday.
On Sunday, a delegation from the government, including Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Amir Muqam, and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, met with JI’s negotiation committee, led by Liaquat Baloch, to discuss possible solutions.
JI has outlined ten conditions for ending the protest, including:
- Abolishing the Petroleum Development Levy and reversing recent price hikes on petroleum products.
- Reducing prices of food, electricity, and gas by 20%.
- Renegotiating agreements with IPPs.
- Ending payments to IPPs in US dollars.
- Granting a 50% discount on electricity for consumers using up to 500 units.
- Cutting taxes on agriculture and industry by 50% and providing incentives to these sectors.
- Reducing taxes on the salaried class and imposing taxes on the wealthy.
- Cutting non-development expenses by 35%.
- Removing taxes on educational stationery and materials.
- Conducting an audit of IPP agreements and reducing electricity prices.
Hafiz Naeem criticized the government for its handling of inflation and urged a review of electricity prices and IPP agreements. He has given the government a two-day ultimatum to address their demands, warning that the protest will continue until these conditions are met.
In response, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik expressed hope for a resolution on the IPP issue and indicated that electricity prices might be reduced soon. The government has also allocated Rs50 billion to assist residential households with electricity bills, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s committees working to alleviate the burden on the public.
