Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned that if the party's demands are not met, the party will expand protests to D-Chowk and other critical locations, bringing highways to a standstill and enforcing a nationwide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike.
However, he declared the latest round of negotiations with the government a success for the ongoing sit-in movement.
Addressing a large gathering on the fifth day of the sit-in at Liaquat Bagh on Tuesday night, the JI emir stated that the entire nation has pinned its hopes on the protest.
He emphasised that while social media was an important platform, practical struggle was equally essential. Jamaat-e-Islami, he claimed, was achieving success on both fronts.
Reiterating the demands for relief for the masses amid the onslaught of exorbitant power bills and taxes, Hafiz Naeem slammed the government for allegedly using the IMF agreement as an excuse for its failures.
"The impression of an IMF agreement is a lie and fraud," he said. "We suggest that the rulers reduce their expenses, use 1300cc cars, consume less petrol, and end their luxurious lifestyles, which would save the national treasury significantly," he demanded.
He further asserted that the nation of 250 million should not be subjected to oppression or taught to accept it as their fate. "When the prime minister, generals, and ministers use 1300cc cars, it will save up to 300 billion rupees annually just on petrol."
Hafiz Naeem proposed selling large government vehicles to save an additional 1500 billion rupees. He also criticised the imposition of taxes on salaried individuals and suggested taxing landowners with more than 20 acres.
He urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's committee to identify appropriate sources for tax collection and gradually eliminate the interest system, which he claimed could reduce the interest burden from Rs8500 billion to Rs5 billion.
Reiterating his party's commitment, Hafiz Naeem warned that if the negotiations are insincere, the protesters would move to D-Chowk and containers would not stop them.
He stressed that Jamaat-e-Islami demands justice for the nation without any compromise and warned that if the government does not meet their demands, they might launch a campaign to topple it.
He criticised the joint government of Bilawal Bhutto and Shehbaz Sharif, questioning their treatment of the middle class and the rising electricity bills that exceed salaries and house rents. He questioned whether anyone in Sindh or Punjab is receiving the minimum wage of Rs37,000.
Hafiz Naeem asserted that Jamaat-e-Islami stands for the establishment of religion in all spheres of life, including state, politics, economy, trade, law, and justice. He announced that protests will continue, with another sit-in scheduled in Sindh and a forthcoming announcement for Lahore.
Warning that the protest would expand if the government did not act swiftly, Hafiz Naeem mentioned plans to block highways and start a sit-in outside the Governor House in Karachi, with potential protests in Peshawar as well.
