RAWALPINDI: The protest sit-in of the religio-political party Jamat-e-Islami (JI) in Rawalpindi against inflated electricity bills and rising inflation has entered its fifth day, with negotiations between the party and the government reaching an impasse.
Led by Hafiz Naeem, JI has presented ten demands before the government’s three-member negotiation committee that include demanding a reduction in power tariffs, inflation and a review of the government’s loss-making agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The government, on the other side, has formed a technical committee to find possible solutions.
Despite the ongoing talks, JI remains firm on its demands and has called for any agreement to be signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure enforcement.
According to media reports, the government team had requested additional time for consultation, but there has been no response to date. The next round of negotiations is expected to commence today.
The sit-in continues to draw large crowds of party workers and supporters, who are pressing the government for action. In response to the protest, the federal government decided to release all detained JI workers.
The government negotiating team included Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister Amir Muqam, senior PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, and Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator Badr Shahbaz. The JI delegation was led by senior leader Liaquat Baloch.
After the last meeting, Atta Tarar stated that the government is committed to resolving the issues through dialogue. He confirmed that orders had been issued for the release of the 35 detained JI workers and expressed hope that the upcoming negotiations would resolve the issues and end the sit-in.
Federal Minister Amir Muqam announced that a technical committee would engage with Jamat-e-Islami leaders to discuss and address the concerns. He highlighted the need for a review of expenditures and decision-making to find an effective solution.
Muqam expressed optimism that the committee’s discussions with JI would lead to positive outcomes and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to dialogue and problem-solving.
