JI announces nationwide shutter-down strike on 28th

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) naib emir Liaqat Baloch on Monday said the religio-political party would observe a shutter-down strike across the country on August 28 to mount pressure on the coalition government to provide relief to the masses.

Baloch, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, said that the trader community made a unanimous decision of observing a nationwide strike against inflation, high electricity prices and imposition of hefty taxes.

He warned that any attempt by the government to stop the strike would push the country into anarchy.The JI leader reminded that his party staged a 14-day protest in Rawalpindi and held negotiations with the federal government.

The ministers had signed an agreement after accepting the JI’s demands for providing relief to the inflation-hit nation earlier this month.He added that a one-month deadline was set to review the contracts with independent power producers (IPPs) in the agreement. He demanded the government implement the agreement.

Baloch also hinted at starting a long march to Islamabad if needed. He added that his party had just postponed the sit-in after signing an agreement with the government, however, they would continue their struggle to get relief for the nation.

Prior to giving a strike call, JI emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had announced another protest two weeks ago, saying that his party would give a call for peaceful protest by joining hands with trader groups.