WEBDESK - NAYADAUR
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has postponed its long march towards Islamabad following an appeal from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, but party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the protest movement against the petroleum levy would continue.
Speaking at a press conference in Multan on Tuesday, Rehman said the decision followed a telephone conversation with the prime minister, who requested that JI delay its planned sit-in until his return from the United States. The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Shehbaz had urged the JI chief to postpone the Islamabad protest.
Rehman said he consulted senior party leaders before agreeing to temporarily postpone the march.
“We will not step back from our protests. We will not step back from our long march either,” he said, adding that the party wanted to give the government an opportunity because the prime minister had become directly involved in the issue.
The JI chief said he would meet Shehbaz after the premier’s return from the United States, listen to the government’s position and present his party’s demands.
“If he announces that the government is ready to give this relief, then it is fine; otherwise, we have the first week of October, and we will continue our long march with the same force,” Rehman said.
Protest camps to remain active
Although the Islamabad march has been postponed, Rehman said JI workers would remain mobilised and protest camps and sit-ins would continue.
He also rejected the government’s argument that the current situation was too fragile to accommodate a major protest, saying JI was not seeking violence or unrest in the capital.
“The government is responsible for this situation,” Rehman said, while reiterating that the party’s protests were focused on fuel and electricity prices.
JI began its campaign against the petroleum levy on Aug. 7 and says demonstrations have been held at hundreds of locations across Pakistan. The party has also maintained sit-ins in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and other cities since Aug. 16.
JI rejects government fuel relief scheme
The JI leader again criticised the government’s Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme, which provides a Rs100-per-litre subsidy for eligible two- and three-wheeled vehicles and other qualifying categories.
Rehman argued that the scheme did not address what his party considers the central issue — the petroleum levy itself. He said the government had announced limited monthly relief while continuing to collect substantially more through fuel-related charges.
The government has previously defended its fuel relief measures as assistance for economically vulnerable and middle-income groups. During Tuesday’s phone call, Shehbaz told Rehman that the government was providing relief on petroleum products under difficult economic circumstances and would continue efforts to support affected citizens.
Five rounds of talks produced no breakthrough
The postponement follows several rounds of negotiations between JI and the government over the petroleum levy.
The fifth round, held on Sept. 19, ended without an agreement after the government requested that JI delay its march because of security concerns. JI representatives maintained that the protest would remain necessary unless the levy was withdrawn.
JI nevertheless launched its march towards Islamabad on Sept. 20, with caravans traveling from different parts of the country. The main caravan reached Sukkur and subsequently moved towards Multan.
The party had previously warned that its campaign could broaden into a movement seeking the government’s removal if the petroleum levy remained in place.
Political pressure remains
The development comes as another opposition-led mobilization is also planned in Islamabad. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has announced a Sept. 27 protest seeking the release of incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.
The government has warned political groups against disrupting roads or creating unrest in Islamabad. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said the government would respond to any attempt to create disorder in the capital.
For now, JI’s decision creates a temporary pause rather than an end to its campaign. The next meeting between Shehbaz Sharif and Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, and whether the government offers a proposal acceptable to JI, will determine whether the planned October mobilisation goes ahead.