Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced a nationwide peaceful strike for September 3 as the party expands its ongoing protest movement against the petroleum levy and rising inflation.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-ins against the petroleum levy and inflation continued for the 13th consecutive day in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and other cities.
Addressing protesters outside the Chief Minister’s House in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the movement was no longer limited to three cities, with demonstrations now being held simultaneously in several parts of the country.
He announced that the next phase of the campaign against the petroleum levy would include a nationwide peaceful strike on September 3.
Hafiz Naeem warned the government that if relief was not provided to the public, the protest movement would expand beyond sit-ins to markets and streets across the country.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami could also lead a long march towards Islamabad with the public if its demands were not addressed.
According to the JI chief, the party could move towards Islamabad either before or after the nationwide strike, depending on the situation.
Hafiz Naeem accused the government of burdening people with taxes and inflation while depriving them of their basic rights, saying the public now needed meaningful economic relief.
He also criticised the government’s performance, saying it lacked both vision and the ability to address the problems faced by ordinary citizens.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also raised the issue of the deaths of 14 children at PIMS hospital, describing the incident as a result of incompetence.
He claimed that adequate safety measures were not in place at the hospital and that there was no effective system for training doctors and other staff.
