JI sit-in to go on as talks with govt remain inconclusive

The Jamaat-e-Islami will continue its sit-in as talks between the JI leaders and government reps remained inconclusive late Saturday.

Federal government’s delegation led by Information and Broadcasting Minister Atta Ullah Tarar and Dr Tariq Fazal Ch reached Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi to hold talks with JI leadership but to no avail. 

The JI has been staging the sit-in against the government's failure to control inflation and provide relief to the people for a couple of days. 

The govt and power bills have entered the third day at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi.

During the talks, the federal government tried to convince the JI leadership to call off the protest but the latter refused to budge.

The next round of talks between JI and the government will be held tomorrow.

Addressing the participants of the sit-in, JI Emir Hafiz Naeem made it clear to the government that JI will not leave the place until all of their demands are met. He said if the government showed no response to their demands, JI would stage a protest at D Chowk and in front of Parliament House.

See Also: JI Ameer rules out talks with govt unless release of all workers

He said the masses came here for their right. He said JI always preferred peace over violence.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that JI will not let down youth. He said JI will eradicate the culture of corruption and bloodshed.

He said until the government announce some relief in power bills, they will not postpone the sit-it.

JI chief demanded that all missing persons should be recovered. He said JI was against ethnic politics. He urged the government to bring big landlords under tax net. He said JI will not give in.

Former JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq said that while masses were facing inflated bills and food inflation our political were raising their allowances. He said the struggle of the masses will not go waste and public will be successful.

He lamented that the rulers were busy making money and sending it abroad. He feared that insecurity and unemployment in the country may force the masses to cut off the power to the President's House. As the government has made the people angry, the patience of the people has been exhausted.

He told the workers that when Quaid-e-Azam was asked to go abroad for treatment, Quaid-e-Azam said he would never go out for treatment on poor people's money.

He said the dream of a welfare state was shattered by these dictators. Sarajul Haq said that electricity bill have increased the tension of the people.

He said that the incumbent government’s minister himself revealed that 42 people do not want to end the contract of IPPs. In fact, the PML-N and the People's Party are all benefiting from these agreements. He said that during 2024, the nation has given more than two thousand billion to IPPs.

Meanwhile, Deputy Emir of JI Liaquat Baloch delivering his speech at Liaquat Bagh sit-in said that after the announcement of this sit-in, there were some questions in people's minds.

He said JI wanted to seek relief for the people. He lamented that before the sit-in, there was a crackdown on our workers and the roads were blocked. Then the people came out and the barriers disappeared.

He said JI platform was available for the issues of twenty-five crore people. After the arrest of the workers, the government approached for negotiations.

Interior Minister contacted and said, “We want to talk”. JI said, “we welcome, but no one trusts the government which was the product of Form 47”.

He said, “We are fully prepared for negotiations, we want to see the supremacy of the Constitution and everyone bound by the Constitution”.

He said the most important problem today was the economic problem. He said this dharna was for the middle class and salaried class. He said the cost of electricity is now unaffordable. The price of petrol is beyond the levy of the government.

IPPs have become a death warrant for Pakistan's independence and sovereignty. He said JI wanted the IPPs contracts should be revised. He said, “We want Pakistan to be stable”.