Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Muhammad Naeem announced a nationwide sit-in scheduled for September 29 to urge the government to lower electricity prices, as reported by ARY News. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, he mentioned that this initiative is part of the ‘Haq do Awam ko’ movement, aimed at providing relief to the public.
Naeem stated that the government had previously signed a written agreement with the party, committing to address their demands within 45 days. With the deadline now lapsed, he announced the next phase of their movement. The sit-ins will occur on major highways across Pakistan, and from October 1 to 7, the party plans to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon. Following that, the movement will evolve into a resistance campaign.
He also noted that from October 23 to 27, they will gauge public sentiment on whether to halt electricity bill payments if prices remain excessive. Earlier, on September 7, Rehman had warned the government that they would be held accountable for the repercussions if the ‘Rawalpindi Agreement’ was not implemented. During a membership campaign event in Lahore, Rehman remarked that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should not complain about the actions his party may take if the agreement fails to materialize, stressing that the implementation date is just 16 days away.
Rehman emphasized that the public would not bear the burden of taxes and regulations imposed by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the ruling authorities. He mentioned ongoing discussions with business communities regarding a potential three-day nationwide strike. He credited his party’s efforts for the Punjab government’s reduction in power taxes and insisted that the actual cost of electricity should be uniformly applied across all regions of Pakistan.