The federal government is due to hold talks with the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) today (Sunday) to peacefully end the party’s ongoing sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh.
JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday warned of expanding the party’s Rawalpindi sit-in to other areas across the country if the government failed to meet its demands regarding skyrocketing electricity bills and rising taxes.
As the protest entered its second day, Murree Road remained closed to traffic from Marrir Chowk to Committee Chowk, with containers placed on the artery that passes through the heart of the garrison city. As a result, business activities in the area were affected.
Under pressure from the JI, a government delegation led by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar engaged in talks with JI protesters on Saturday night. As a result, it was agreed that both sides will hold a formal discussion today to address JI’s demands, according to the government.
“Negotiations between the government and Jamaat-e-Islami will be held this afternoon,” confirmed a post by state-owned PTV News on the X platform, citing Tarar.
“The location of the negotiations will also be determined today and it is hoped that the talks will be fruitful”.
It added that the meeting between the government delegates and JI last night was carried out in a “pleasant environment.”
An earlier post from PTV News, also citing Tarar, stated that the JI formed a negotiation committee headed by JI deputy chief Liaquat Baloch for the talks.
‘Power, tax hikes not a problem of Jamaat-i-Islami alone’
Meanwhile, addressing the sit-in on Sunday, Rehman thanked the protesters for their attendance and said that people hadn’t left their homes and opted to sit on the streets for nothing.
“Power and tax hikes are not just a problem for Jamaat-e-Islami but for the entire country”, he said.
The party leader added that there was no way to resolve the issue other than political struggle within the bounds of the constitution, which he reiterated, that the protesters were upholding.
“When Parliament and institutions are not working, it is our right to protest under the Constitution,” he said.
Addressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the JI chief said, “Tell me how a common man can run his household with a minimum wage of Rs37,000. How will a poor man pay for electricity?”
He demanded that electricity bills be reduced and criticized independent power producers (IPPs), stating that their contracts were being “hidden from the people.”
He also stated that the salaried class in Pakistan was “paying more taxes compared to India” and slammed the “landlords and capitalists” for making the decisions.
Rehman also appealed to people from all walks of life to join the protest. “Students, lawyers, businessmen, and industrialists are welcome to be a part of this movement,” he said.
“The poor of this country have one path and that is to be a part of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest.”
‘Outsiders’ outnumber local supporters at JI protest
A large number of participants present at the sit-in at Liaquat Bagh came from central and southern districts of Punjab and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and many of them have vowed to resist the increase in power tariffs and heavy taxes imposed by the government in the federal budget.
About 3,000 people, mostly supporters, were present at the protest site in the morning, with the JI leadership conspicuous by its absence. Though the party had installed tents in the park for the protesters, participants chose to occupy the road to register their protest.
Speaking to Dawn, Mohammad Anwar, a resident of Okara, said he had come to Rawalpindi to protest inflation which was unbearable for the masses.
According to Anwar, the JI supporters were divided into smaller groups of five to seven people and most of them brought a few pairs of clothes. He, however, said they did not need sleeping bags because of the hot and humid weather.
“We can sleep anywhere in the park,” he said.
Bashir Ahmed from Bahawalnagar said he participated in the sit-in on the call of the JI leadership and his group comprised as many as 20 people. He said it was their duty to stage this protest against the back-breaking inflation and was planning to stay here for up to four days despite the hot weather.
JI demands immediate release of detained protesters for serious talks
On Friday, JI demanded that the government show its “seriousness for talks” with the party by releasing protesters detained by the police.
“Don’t conduct press conferences. Make an authorised committee that will talk with our committee. We will announce our committee shortly after consultation”, Rehman sent a message to the government while addressing the gathered party supporters at Liaquat Bagh.
“I also want to say to the government that all our workers they’ve arrested … they should be immediately released and if they are, then we will consider you are serious about talks.”
‘Arrests made’ as JI begins protests
The JI’s protests in Islamabad began on Friday evening and were soon met with arrests, the party claimed.
The district administration had sealed the federal capital’s D-Chowk by placing containers on the nearby roads and the police had arrested more than a dozen JI activists and local office-bearers. It also imposed Section 144, a legal provision empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period. It said prohibition of the order would lead to strict action.
In a statement released on Friday, JI information secretary Sajjad Ahmed Abbasi called on supporters to gather on the Islamabad Highway at the H-8/I-8 bridge situated between Faizabad and Zero Point at 5:30pm.
The party, in a post on X, said that its workers had “reached D-Chowk after surpassing all obstacles”, adding that police were arresting its workers while sharing a video of a person being forced into a police van.
The party’s secretary general alleged that “all over the country, raids are being conducted on the offices of the party and the houses of officials and workers, the convoys are being stopped and arrested. This cruelty and abuse is condemnable. The government is in a frenzy.”
Later, Rehman summoned all supporters to Liaquat Bagh.
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