Respect for Ashura: JI postpones Islamabad sit-in until 26th

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has postponed the Islamabad sit-in until July 26 out of respect for Ashura.

He announced this decision during a press conference at Mansoorah on Thursday. The postponement of the sit-in, originally scheduled for July 12, came after consultations with the JI leadership and following appeals from religious scholars. Rehman announced countrywide visits for public mobilization to ensure their full participation in the sit-in. The JI would organize awareness camps in all major cities on Friday and sit-ins in major and small cities on July 14.

Rehman said people from Karachi, Balochistan and other far-flung areas would start marching towards Islamabad on July 24. He reiterated the demand for reduction in electricity tariffs, abolishment of the slab system for power tariffs and agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). “The JI sit-in in Islamabad on July 26 is for the rights of people, against inflation and unjust taxes imposed in the recent budget,” he said, criticising the ruling authorities for depriving the masses of basic health and employment facilities, and for imposing additional taxes on the poor while increasing petroleum and gas tariffs in recent budget.

The ruling elite, he said, were unwilling to compromise on their luxuries, which come at the state’s expense. They are not ready to surrender their free petrol and electricity. He said the IPPs were paid billions of rupees in term of capacity charges. He said the feudal did not pay taxes and the government hit the salaried class with massive taxation time and again.

He said the government planned to increase tariff for commercial and agriculture consumers. A peaceful resistance for their rights has become essential for the public. People must launch struggle from the JI platform to secure the future of coming generations and get rid of the ruling elite.