- Proposes judicial commission based on evidence from Form 45, to remove those imposed via Form 47
- Demands govt shows seriousness for talks by ‘immediately’ releasing detained protesters
- JI spokesperson claims police have arrested 1,150 workers and subjected dozens to violence
ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday declared that there is no need for new elections in the country and that anyone demanding them might be an agent of someone but is not loyal to the nation.
“Talks of new elections are ongoing, but we oppose this and demand that the government be given to those who have the mandate according to Form 45,” Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said at a JI sit-in at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Proposing a judicial commission based on the evidence from Form 45, the JI chief said that those with the public mandate should be given governance, and those imposed via Form 47 should be removed.
“Those imposed on us through Form 47 have caused a dire situation where brothers are killing each other over electricity bills,” he regretted.
He criticised those advocating for new elections, whether from the PML-N, PPP, or PTI, accusing them of being agents and not loyal to the country. “They are seeking a share in the spoils of a new election.”
Hafiz Naeem claimed that some parties are clamouring for new elections because they feel they have not received their share and now want a part of the new election process.
He also demanded the government end the IPP business and reduce its expenses to provide relief to the public. “More than 80% of IPPs are owned by government personalities, and over 500 billion rupees are being paid to them from our pockets.”
He criticised the privileges given to a specific class, including free petrol, electricity, housing, and gas, which are funded by the poor. “Payments to IPPs are also extracted from the public through electricity bills.”
The JI chief vowed to continue the sit-in until the privileges given to bureaucrats, military personnel, and judges are ended and agreements with IPPs are terminated. He called for quality education for every child if the government collects taxes.
Hafiz Naeem highlighted the tax disparity, noting that salaried individuals paid Rs375 billion in income tax last year, while large landowners paid less than five billion. “Tax the landlords and remove taxes from salaries and electricity bills.”
Desponding to to govt’s talks offer, the JI chief demanded that the government show its seriousness for talks with the party by releasing protesters detained on Friday.
The JI chief was addressing the party’s sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh after the party put out the call for all its protesters and supporters in the twin cities to head to the venue for Rehman to announce the next plan of action as it took out its protest against inflation.
The federal government earlier offered talks to the party.
Yesterday, both the Islamabad administration and the Punjab government imposed Section 144, apparently to prevent the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami planned protests. The Punjab government has imposed legal provision empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people across the province from July 26 to 29.
The restrictions had come as the capital braced for another political showdown, as JI announced a sit-in at D-Chowk to protest price hikes, high electricity bills, and increased income tax. Meanwhile, the PTI-led opposition alliance, TTAP, called for nationwide protests against alleged political victimization and demanded the release of former premier Imran Khan.
Despite the restrictions, JI began its protests in Islamabad in the evening and claimed that the Islamabad police arrested more than a dozen of its activists and local office-bearers.
In retaliation to the alleged arrests, the party announced that it had decided to hold rallies across three key points in Islamabad after being faced with obstructions and arrests.
“The JI has revealed its Plan B. After facing obstacles and arrests, the JI hold sit-in across three points [across the federal capital],” the party announced on the X platform.
It added that Rehman would lead the protest at Islamabad’s Zero Point, Secretary General Amirul Azim would lead a demonstration at Rawalpindi’s Murree Road, while a third rally would be held at the federal capital’s 26 Number Chungi.
The JI said that as per Rehman’s instructions, there would be a sit-in wherever there was an obstacle and the party would now hold multiple protests instead of one.
“The sit-ins will continue until the demands are accepted,” it said.
Addressing the gathered party supporters at Liaquat Bagh later, Rehman said while addressing the government’s offer for talks: “Don’t do press conferences. Make an authorised committee that will talk with our committee. We will announce our committee shortly after consultation.”
Rehman said the committee would be instructed to gauge in the first meeting if the government team was just a delaying tactic or if it was serious. He added the sit-in would continue until the government reached a decision.
“I also want to say to the government that all our workers they’ve arrested … they should be immediately released and if they are, then we will consider you are serious about talks.”
On the sit-in’s duration, he said: “I am giving no timeframe. Are you ready if this sit-in continues for a month or more?”
Reiterating the party’s demands, he said it only wanted relief for the people, a reduction in their power bills and a clampdown on independent power producers.
The party shared various visuals of its many supporters protesting in the federal capital.
Rehman addressed a crowd gathered at Islamabad’s Toll Plaza.
The party’s secretary general alleged that “all over the country, raids are being conducted on the offices of the party and the houses of officials and workers, the convoys are being stopped and arrested. This cruelty and abuse is condemnable. The government is in a frenzy.”
He appealed to the party’s supporters to come out and reach Islamabad, saying a sit-in would be held at D-Chowk at all costs.
Sit-ins at three locations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami announced sit-ins at three locations in Islamabad and Rawalpindi following the arrest of its workers and road blockade at D-Chowk. JI workers removed containers at Faizabad and opened the route, allowing a convoy to enter Rawalpindi and set up at Liaquat Bagh.
JI’s central spokesperson Qaiser Sharif stated that due to the arrests and barriers at D-Chowk, the party decided to hold sit-ins at three locations. “We will hold sit-ins at Murree Road in Rawalpindi, Zero Point, and Chungi No. 26,” he said.
The sit-in at Murree Road will be led by Amirul Azeem, Deputy Amir Dr Osama Razi, along with provincial and district leadership. JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman will lead the sit-in at Zero Point, with Deputy Amir Liaqat Baloch, Mian Muhammad Aslam, and other provincial and Islamabad leaders joining.
The third sit-in at Chungi No. 26 will be led by Deputy Amir Dr Attaur Rehman, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, and provincial leaders.
These sit-ins will continue until their demands, including the shutdown of IPPs and relief from tax burdens on the salaried class, are met.
Qaiser Sharif declared, “Under the direction of JI leader Hafiz Naeem, wherever there is an obstacle, participants will hold a sit-in. Jamaat-e-Islami will now hold multiple sit-ins.”
He claimed that the police had arrested 1,150 of their workers and subjected dozens to violence. “Seeing the large public turnout at the sit-ins, the government is panicking and resorting to fascism,” he added.
‘Govt still open for talks’: Tarar
Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar accused Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) of breaching the agreement with the government about concluding their protest against inflation with a rally at Liaquat Bagh. However, the government remains open to dialogue, he added.
“When it was agreed to hold the rally at Liaquat Bagh, the march towards Islamabad is incomprehensible,” he said while addressing a press conference alongside Amir Muqam in Islamabad on Friday.
Tarar emphasised that the government is still willing to engage in talks with Jamaat-e-Islami.
“The government’s doors were always open and reiterated willingness to hold talks”, he said.
The information minister defended the government’s economic performance and said it was taking measures for the people’s sake such as a recent subsidy in power bills.
Tarar said the government would listen to the JI’s demands and try to incorporate them in the government’s existing reform agenda.
Reacting to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s speech at the Bannu rally, Tarar remarked, “We understand his constraints. He reassures in the Apex Committee, but speaks differently in public. After the decision to bring back TTP terrorists, terrorism has increased.”
Tarar criticised the CM Gandapur further, saying, “What should have been done is to outline your actions against terrorism. They have made an agreement with a fake artificial intelligence institution, uncertified by any organisation, which will not benefit the youth.”
‘Islamabad’s Red Zone sealed, crackdown on JI sit-in’
The Red Zone of Islamabad has been completely sealed by placing containers ahead of the start of Jamaat-e-Islami’s three-day sit-in against rising inflation and electricity.
The capital police and administration have also placed containers at the city’s entry points, and major roads and intersections, only allowing one lane of traffic. This has resulted in long queues of vehicles and significant inconvenience for residents.
Similarly, the routes leading to the federal capital have been partially sealed, while heavy contingents of police have taken their positions at all the entry and exit points of the city.
Likewise, the route connecting Faizabad to Murree Road has been sealed as well, while the one leading to Pir Wadhai from the Expressway has been partially closed for traffic.
The area under the Faizabad flyover on the Expressway has also been declared partially off-limits for traffic.
Additional containers have been placed under the Zero Point Bridge too, leaving only two lanes open for traffic.
A heavy police presence is deployed at Faizabad, equipped with water cannons and tear gas. Operational police units have been issued 10,000 tear gas shells from police lines to manage the protesters.
Heads of three government hospitals have been instructed to keep their emergency departments on high alert until Monday to handle any potential emergencies arising from the situation.
The Capital police arrested numerous participants of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) sit-in at D-Chowk, and transported the arrested workers in prisoner vans, besides blocking the routes leading to D-Chowk with containers.
On the other hand, caravans of JI leaders and workers are marching towards Islamabad from different parts of the country.
The party workers have left Lahore for the capital city in groups. JI South Lahore Naib Ameer Ahmad Salman Baloch is leading one of these groups.
The JI alleged that the police did not even treat its women properly and misbehaved with them. Secretary General Ameer-ul-Azeem reported that raids were conducted on the homes of key party figures, including Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Amir Ziauddin Ansari.
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also warned the government of the consequences if the party was prevented from entering Islamabad for their protest.
In a statement, Naeem stated that they believed in peaceful political resistance to secure public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he said. “The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”
Large number of PTI, JI workers arrested
Meanwhile, the Lahore Police conducted raids at over 60 locations targeting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami members, detaining 110 individuals.
According to sources, the late-night operations focused on members of both political parties. PTI leaders – Yasir Gilani and Hafiz Zeeshan’s homes were also raided.
Raids were carried out on catering services and sound system centers in Sanda and Gulshan Ravi, leading to the arrest of 11 PTI workers. Numerous Jamaat-e-Islami activists were also detained from various locations of the provincial metropolis.
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