JI keeps Islamabad march plan despite talks offer from PM

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has agreed to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss public relief measures but said the party would continue its protest campaign and preparations for a long march towards Islamabad.

Speaking at a press conference in Multan on Tuesday, Rehman said the decision was taken after consultations within the party. He said the JI would give the prime minister an opportunity to present a solution to its demands.

The JI chief said Shehbaz contacted him by phone while he was speaking at Multan railway station and asked the party to postpone or cancel its planned march for a few days.

According to Rehman, the prime minister said he would meet the JI leadership after returning from New York and discuss additional measures to provide relief to the public.

Rehman said the party had already heard similar assurances from government ministers but remained willing to hold talks if they could lead to a solution.

He maintained that the JI’s central demand was the withdrawal of the additional levy on petrol. He said the party had launched its campaign because of rising electricity, gas and fuel prices.

The JI leader said the party had organised protests and sit-ins across the country. He said demonstrations were initially held at hundreds of locations from August 7, followed by sit-ins at provincial headquarters and later in dozens of cities.

A nationwide shutdown was also held on September 3, according to Rehman. He said negotiations with the government followed the increased public pressure.

Rehman claimed that the JI had presented the government with proposals showing how the petroleum levy could be withdrawn through adjustments in other areas. However, he said officials cited commitments linked to the International Monetary Fund as a reason for retaining the levy.

JI rejects existing relief package

Rehman said the government’s existing relief package did not address the party’s main concern.

He estimated the package at between Rs26 billion and Rs30 billion per month, while claiming that the government was collecting around Rs150 billion through the petroleum levy.

The JI chief said the party wanted the additional levy removed rather than replaced with a limited relief package.

He said the party’s protest was aimed at securing relief for the wider public and rejected the idea that it was pursuing a personal or organisational agenda.

Rehman also said JI camps and sit-ins would continue while the party waited for its meeting with the prime minister. He added that party workers would continue mobilising supporters and consulting them about the next phase of the campaign.

Islamabad march preparations continue

The JI leader said preparations for the Islamabad march would continue during the waiting period. He said participants could approach the capital through multiple routes rather than relying on a single entry point.

He also said the party wanted to bring people from Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir into a broader national political movement.

Rehman said JI would meet Shehbaz despite its reservations about the electoral process because he was currently serving as prime minister.

He said the outcome of the meeting would determine the party’s next course of action. If the government announced meaningful relief, the situation could change; otherwise, he said, the march would continue during the first part of October.

Rehman also warned against any attempt to shut down JI protest camps or take action against participants, saying the government would bear responsibility for any resulting situation.

PM seeks pause in march

Earlier, the JI media wing said Prime Minister Shehbaz had contacted Rehman after the party’s train march reached Multan.

The prime minister reportedly said that a relief package had already been announced but promised to meet the JI chief after returning to Pakistan and consider additional relief measures.

Rehman responded that the announced package did not meet the party’s demands and reiterated that the campaign against the petroleum levy would continue until the levy was removed.

He said he would consult the party leadership before deciding whether to temporarily pause the march.

Train march heads towards Islamabad

JI began its Karachi-to-Islamabad train march on September 20 as part of its campaign against the petroleum levy and what it describes as unfavourable agreements with independent power producers.

Thousands of supporters gathered at Karachi Cantonment Railway Station before the train departed. The party has said additional groups from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan would also travel towards Islamabad.

The campaign follows weeks of protests and sit-ins in different parts of the country, including Sindh and Punjab.

Meanwhile, the government’s fuel relief scheme provides a Rs100-per-litre subsidy for eligible motorcycles, rickshaws, other two- and three-wheelers and cars with engines up to 800cc.

The scheme was announced on September 13 and began nationwide implementation at midnight on September 16. The government has established facilitation desks at petrol stations to assist eligible citizens with registration and the subsidy process.