JI sit-ins to continue until demands met: Hafiz Naeem

LAHORE: Hafiz Naeem, the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, has warned the government that sit-ins will persist until its demands are addressed. At a press conference on Monday, Naeem outlined the protesters' grievances, including the abolition of the petroleum levy, reduced petrol prices, and cheaper electricity. The demonstrations in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar were seen as representing the concerns of Pakistan's 250 million citizens.

Naeem criticized the government, accusing it of becoming subservient to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and transferring the burden of economic failures onto ordinary citizens. He also expressed frustration with the bureaucracy, stating that officials should stop treating the public as subjects and instead as equals.

The sit-in against the petroleum levy, high electricity tariffs, and costly agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) has been ongoing for two days. Despite the high temperatures, thousands of protesters have remained at Charing Cross in Lahore, chanting slogans and flying national and party flags. Similar protests have taken place outside the Governor's Houses in Karachi and Peshawar.

Protesters are demanding a reduction in petrol prices to Rs225 per litre, the withdrawal of the petroleum levy, and lower electricity costs. Naeem emphasized that the movement extends beyond JI members, encompassing doctors, lawyers, traders, farmers, and other sectors. He urged the public to join the protests and called out the government's policy of imposing higher fuel prices while increasing electricity costs.

Regarding IPP agreements, Naeem stated that the policy began under Benazir Bhutto's government and was later expanded by the PML-N and PPP, alleging that some power plant capacities were overstated and irregularities occurred in biomass-based plants.

The JI chief mentioned that the government has collected over Rs8 trillion from consumers through the petroleum levy and questioned why domestic refineries had not been upgraded despite the significant revenue. He also criticized the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), claiming annual corruption exceeded Rs1.3 trillion, and contrasted the Rs12 billion tax paid by landlords and feudal elites with the Rs700 billion collected annually from salaried workers.

Naeem rejected the government's offer of negotiations, stating that JI would not travel to Islamabad to meet a government committee. Instead, he invited the government to come to Lahore for discussions, emphasizing that the party would receive them with respect. He reiterated that the sit-ins would continue until the government accepted their demands, calling for an end to the "jagga" or extortion-style tax in the name of the petroleum levy.