JI weighs delay in Islamabad long march after PM’s request

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman by telephone after the party’s train march reached Multan.

The prime minister, who is currently in New York, asked the JI chief to delay the march until his return to Pakistan.

Shehbaz also offered to hold talks with the JI over the petroleum levy, which has remained the main issue behind the party’s protest campaign.

Hafiz Naeem said he would consult the party’s central leadership before making a final decision on the proposed pause.

He also made it clear that a possible delay would not mean the end of the JI’s wider protest movement.

PM Shehbaz offers talks on petroleum levy

According to reports, Shehbaz told Hafiz Naeem that he was prepared to hold meaningful discussions on the petroleum levy after returning to Pakistan.

The prime minister also indicated that he would meet the JI chief following his return and discuss measures aimed at providing relief to the public.

The JI has been demanding the abolition of the petroleum levy and has rejected the government’s existing relief measures as insufficient.

Hafiz Naeem has repeatedly said the party would continue its campaign until the government provides what the JI considers meaningful relief.

The party’s train march began from Karachi on September 20 and is moving towards Islamabad, with Multan among the stops along the route.

JI says protest campaign will continue

While considering the prime minister’s request, Hafiz Naeem has maintained that the JI will not abandon its broader protest movement.

Speaking to supporters, he said sit-ins and protest camps would continue in different areas.

He also indicated that the party could reconsider its march towards Islamabad if the government takes concrete steps on its demands.

“If relief is provided, well and good; otherwise, we are not abandoning the long march,” he said.

The JI has been holding protests and sit-ins against the petroleum levy since August.

The party says the levy has increased the financial burden on consumers and has called for its complete withdrawal.

The government, meanwhile, has already announced fuel-related relief measures, but the JI has maintained that these steps do not adequately address its demands.

Also Read:PM Shehbaz reaches out to Hafiz Naeem over Islamabad march

Islamabad march remains under discussion

The latest development has created the possibility of a short pause in the JI’s march, but the final decision depends on consultation within the party.

Earlier, the JI had announced that its march would move towards Islamabad after travelling from Karachi through different parts of the country.

The party had planned for its supporters and convoys to reach the federal capital during the current phase of its protest.

Hafiz Naeem has also said that the JI is willing to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz after his return to Pakistan.

However, the party continues to insist that any talks should address the petroleum levy and provide relief to consumers.