Jamaat e Islami Sit-ins to Continue as Government, Hafiz Naeem Agree on Expert Teams

Hafiz Naeem and the government’s negotiating committee held a joint press conference on Thursday, with both sides expressing willingness to consider proposals aimed at reducing inflation and easing the burden on the public.

Hafiz Naeem said Thursday marked the 19th day of Jamaat e Islami’s sit-ins, which initially began at three locations and had now expanded to more than 15 locations.

He said the protests were not launched out of choice, but because inflation had made it increasingly difficult for people to meet their basic needs. He claimed that 95 percent of people were unable to meet their essential needs because of rising prices.

Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami was holding the protests for the public rather than for electoral purposes. He also cited a government report, claiming that more than 40 percent of the population was living below the poverty line.

Speaking about petrol prices, Hafiz Naeem said a major portion of the current petrol price consisted of taxes and that the government could further reduce taxes and margins on petroleum products.

He said there was also room to reduce transportation and other related costs, adding that reducing the tax burden on petrol could provide significant relief to the public.

According to Hafiz Naeem, crude oil prices in the international market had reached around $88 to $90 per barrel. He said if international oil prices declined again, consumers in Pakistan should also benefit.

He called on the government to eliminate what he described as unjustified taxes on petroleum products and said Jamaat-e-Islami had formed a committee to work on proposals for reducing petroleum prices.

Hafiz Naeem said the committee could begin working immediately and that the government would have to take practical steps to reduce petrol prices.

He also criticised payments to independent power producers (IPPs), saying consumers were being charged capacity payments even when electricity was not being generated. He also raised concerns over capacity payments for regasification plants.

Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami had formed a negotiating team headed by Liaquat Baloch. The team includes Firasat Shah, Ziauddin Ansari, Nasrullah Randhawa and Naveed Baig.

According to Hafiz Naeem, the party’s demands include reforms related to IPPs, taxes and levies on petroleum products, as well as measures to reduce the burden of inflation on ordinary citizens.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal thanked Hafiz Naeem and his negotiating team, saying the government’s top priority was to strengthen the economy while placing the minimum possible burden on the public.

Ahsan Iqbal said inflation had reached 31 percent four years ago but had now declined to around 9 percent. He said inflation could have fallen further if there had been no impact from global developments, particularly the Iran war.

He said Pakistan had been given a B category at the international level for the first time since 2016, adding that economic indicators showed that the country’s economy was moving toward recovery.

However, Ahsan acknowledged that Pakistan had not yet fully emerged from the economic crisis and its effects.

He said the country had entered the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme not by choice but out of necessity, adding that exiting the programme also carried a significant economic cost.

According to Ahsan, fulfilling the IMF programme’s targets was a necessity for the government. He said the government wanted to minimise the burden imposed on the public.

Ahsan said the government would immediately consider any workable proposals presented by Jamaat-e-Islami that could provide relief to the people.

He said the government had no reservations about practical proposals aimed at providing relief to the public and that formal talks with Jamaat-e-Islami would begin on Monday.

He expressed hope that the negotiations would produce workable proposals for providing relief to the public.

Ahsan also said that four years ago the country had been on the verge of bankruptcy and described the period as a dark phase in which the economy had been severely damaged.

He said the policy rate, which had previously stood at 23.5 percent, had now fallen to 11.5 percent.

Ahsan reiterated that the government wanted to reduce the burden on the public and said it would act promptly on workable proposals put forward by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also thanked Hafiz Naeem and his colleagues, saying the objective of Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest was to reduce inflation and provide relief to the public.

Rana Sanaullah said the prime minister and the government were also making efforts to provide relief to the people. He added that Jamaat-e-Islami leaders had informed the government that they had proposals for public relief.

He said the government was ready to consider the party’s proposals and that both sides wanted to provide relief to the public.

Hafiz Naeem said the talks with the government delegation had been positive and thanked the government representatives for the discussion, while making it clear that the sit-ins would continue.