Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned of a nationwide wheel-jam strike if the federal government fails to provide economic relief to the public, as formal talks between the party and government are set to begin on Monday.
The announcement came two days after countrywide protests during which six JI workers were arrested in Karachi for allegedly burning motorcycles and tyres. The party has distanced itself from those involved in the incidents.
Earlier, Rehman, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah had announced that the JI and federal government would form committees to recommend measures aimed at reducing the petroleum levy and providing relief to consumers.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside JI Deputy Chief Mian Muhammad Aslam and Islamabad Amir Nasrullah Randhawa, Rehman said negotiations with the government would formally begin on Monday, while sit-in protests would continue across the country.
He criticised the government and bureaucracy, referring to the administration as an unconstitutional “Form-47 arrangement” and accusing it of passing the burden of inefficiency and excessive spending on to the public through heavy taxation.
Rehman said the JI had staged protests for 21 days, with sit-ins held at dozens of locations, including 20 sites in Balochistan and Swat. He claimed the campaign had contributed to a reduction of Rs10-12 per unit in electricity prices, helped save Rs4,300 billion for the national exchequer through negotiations with independent power producers (IPPs), and prevented a further increase in petrol prices.
Discussing the country’s economic situation, the JI chief claimed Pakistan’s total debt had reached Rs110 trillion, while annual interest payments stood at Rs8 trillion.
He argued that a three-percentage-point reduction in the central bank’s policy rate could eliminate the need for the petroleum levy.
Rehman also criticised what he described as systemic corruption and administrative failures, citing Rs1.3tr worth of annual losses allegedly caused by “incompetence” at the Federal Board of Revenue. He also questioned continued payments to re-gasification plants despite periods when liquefied natural gas was not being supplied.
The JI chief highlighted problems in the social sector, referring to a fire at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and what he described as a 50 per cent failure rate in Punjab’s ninth-grade examinations as examples of governance failures.
He also criticised major political parties in Sindh, accusing them of failing to address Karachi’s longstanding problems. Rehman said the grievances had contributed to calls by some residents for the creation of a separate province.
Outlining the party’s future strategy, Rehman announced a signature campaign targeting 50 million citizens. He said the campaign would seek structural economic relief, reforms to the local government system and a reduction in the price of bread to Rs10.
The JI chief said the party would continue pressing the government for measures aimed at reducing the economic burden on the public.
