JI won’t budge on its demands: Hafiz Naeem

RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday once again maintained that there was no change in the stance of JI leadership with regard to 10-point charter of demands.

Addressing JI protestors and later a press conference with business community of Karachi on 7th day of his party's sit-in here at Liaquat Bagh, Hafiz Naeem maintained that the JI would not accept less than the revision of agreements with Independent Power Plants (IPPs) and reduction in electricity prices which top the agenda of demands.

He declared that the JI would not engage in backdoor channel negotiations with the government committee. Instead, he said, any dialogue would take place openly, in front of the media and the public.

“Delaying tactics on part of the government will not work as we are going to stay here till our demands are accepted. The government should not misjudge us,” he said.

Other JI leaders including vice emirs Mian Muhammad Aslam, Liaquat Baloch, Osama Razi and Secretary General Amirul Azeem were also present on the occasion.

Naeem said that his party was keeping all the options including blockade of national highways and shutter down strikes to press the government to announce relief measures.

As the crowd chanted slogans to move the sit-in to D-chowk, the JI chief warned the government that the religio-political party was prepared to block national highways and call for a shutter-down strike, and have all options to expand the sit-in.

He vowed that the JI would not compromise or surrender on public demands, urging the government to make a decision swiftly.

He reiterated the demands for a decrease in electricity tariffs, an end to the extravagance of the ruling elite with state resources, and a review of IPP agreements, insisting that the government must accept all the demands.

He also called for the completion of the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project and the imposition of taxes on feudal lords. He highlighted that the public was no longer willing to pay the capacity charges included in power bills.

Naeem stated that the JI avoided potential clashes with the government by not holding the sit-in at D-Chowk, choosing a peaceful approach instead. He emphasised that the decision should not be mistaken for weakness, as holding peaceful protests is a constitutional right. He asserted that the ruling family enterprises should not underestimate JI's resolve.

He said the rulers of the Muslim world including the so-called army of 41 countries were a silent spectator of Israeli forces’ genocide in Gaza. He said there was need for unity among the ranks of Muslim Ummah to get rid of the US-backed rulers of Muslim world. He said the US was behind the terrorism in Pakistan.

Earlier, a delegation of trader community and representatives of different trader organisations from Karachi held meeting with JI top leader and briefed him about their issues.