Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), one of Pakistan’s major political and religious parties, has been at the forefront of protests against the rising cost of living and unfavorable energy agreements in the country.
Their recent sit-in, which spanned nearly two weeks, was aimed at pressuring the government to address these critical issues.
After successful negotiations, the JI has decided to temporarily defer its protest, but warns of resuming it if their demands are not fully met.
The decision to defer the protest was announced late Thursday after the fifth round of talks between JI leaders and the government’s negotiation team at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.
JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman emphasized that the sit-in is only postponed, not ended, and further plans will be announced during a rally on Friday.
Deputy Emir of JI, Liaquat Baloch, stated that the government has agreed to impose taxes on landowners and reduce the tax burden on the salaried class in stages.
Additionally, the government will review agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), with a task force set to present its findings to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within a month.
Baloch also mentioned that both federal and provincial governments will work together to reduce electricity prices over the next one and a half months.
Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi and Information Minister Ataullah Tarar confirmed these agreements, with Tarar noting that the government has already provided a subsidy worth Rs50 billion to consumers using 200 units of electricity.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the government’s commitment to lowering electricity bills, urging that the issue should not be politicized as protests continue across the country.