JI vows to step up campaign after today’s strike

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has pledged to intensify his party's campaign against the petroleum levy, independent power producers (IPPs) and increasing inflation following a nationwide strike on September 3. Speaking at a press conference alongside Karachi JI chief Monem Zafar, Rehman described the strike as "historic" and hinted at further actions that would be revealed subsequently.

Among the options being considered are a march to Islamabad, sit-ins in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, as well as an expansion of protests nationwide. The JI's sit-ins in the four provincial capitals have now lasted 18 days, with the sit-in in Peshawar expanding to five locations. The sit-in in Hyderabad has continued for 10 days, while protests are also taking place in interior districts and remote areas, including Chitral.

Rehman noted a growing public participation in the movement, with traders nationwide, including in Karachi, expressing unanimous support for the JI campaign and the September 3 strike. He called on the government to abolish the petroleum levy and cancel agreements with IPPs, describing the levies and payments as a grave injustice.

He urged political workers from all parties to join the movement, claiming it had raised awareness about the government's tax burden on ordinary citizens. Rehman also criticized the government's expenditure and official protocols, arguing that taxpayers ultimately bear the cost. Regarding independent power producers, he stated that over Rs1.7 trillion had been paid to entities for electricity that had not been generated, and some IPP owners had registered their companies outside Pakistan to avoid income tax.

The JI campaign against IPPs, he claimed, had saved billions of rupees for the national exchequer and contributed to a Rs16 reduction in electricity prices. When asked about proposals for new administrative units and the division of provinces, Rehman stated that the JI had no objection to creating administrative units within the constitutional framework, but questioned PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari over the party's election results in Karachi, criticizing both the PPP and MQM-P for fostering divisions between Sindhi and Muhajir communities.