Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday warned that the Rawalpindi sit-in could expand to other areas nationwide if the government did not meet its demands regarding high power bills and increased taxes.
Addressing the sit-in at Liaquat Bagh, Rehman said, “If the government thinks the sit-in will only continue on Murree Road, they are mistaken. If they do not genuinely reduce electricity bills, address the issue of IPPs (independent power producers), and revoke the tax slab on the salaried class, this sit-in will spread across the entire country.”
A day earlier, the government convinced JI to shift its protest against inflation and high electricity bills from D-Chowk in the Red Zone to Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh. This decision came after government talks with JI leadership, resulting in the arrest of about 40 JI workers and supporters as they attempted to reach the capital for the demonstration.
Due to the sit-in, Murree Road from Mareer Chowk to Committee Chowk is closed, and Metro Bus service has been suspended, adding to residents’ hardships amid heightened security measures ahead of the JI and PTI protests.
In his speech, Rehman reiterated his demands for the release of all arrested workers and an official statement detailing a committee to hold talks with JI. “We have arrived here and will formulate a daily action plan. We will not leave, God willing,” he said.
Rehman outlined the party’s demands, emphasizing that genuine electricity bill reductions, revoking the petroleum levy, and ending new tax slabs on the salaried class must be addressed. He called for a forensic audit of fraudulent power plants and strict punishment for government officials involved in wrongful business practices.
Rehman highlighted that industrialists are struggling to pay their electricity bills and are considering deferrals, which impacts thousands of jobs when factories close. He suggested revoking export duties on various sectors and taxing elites instead of adding taxes to the masses’ electricity bills. He also called for an end to exemptions for government officials and a reduction in their privileges.
Rehman stated that traders are willing to be taxed fairly under the “Tajir Dost Scheme” and emphasized the need for government action to grant public relief.
Regarding the sit-in’s location change, Rehman agreed to avoid government sabotage using police force, which would have left the masses without hope. “If we wanted, we could have reached D-Chowk, and they couldn’t have stopped us. But what would have happened? They would have created a ruckus.”
