LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq has addressed the sit-in protest in front of Governor House on the second day on Friday and reiterated the demand for reduction in electricity tariff and overall prices of different commodities.

“We will start a sit-in in front of the Governor House in Quetta after the conclusion of the protest here [in front of Lahore Governor House] on Saturday (today),” he said, vowing to persist in the struggle until the rights of the people were duly addressed.

The JI is staging a three-day sit-in protest as part of its ongoing campaign against inflation.

Haq called for making public the agreements with the independent power producers (IPPs), saying they had been signed to protect the interests of the companies by taking kick-backs. The former rulers, he said, allowed the IPPs to function solely for their own financial gain, disregarding their cost implications on the people who were financially vulnerable. He said the previous five years had brought destruction in every sector.

“The PDM and the PPP government 16-month tenure was the continuation of the PTI rule and those who had led rallies against hikes in prices eventually multiplied the inflation after coming into power.”

Meanwhile, Iranian ambassador Reza Amiri-Moghaddam paid a visit to the JI emir at Mansoora.

During their meeting, they engaged in discussions regarding the current state of affairs in the region, the relationship between Pakistan and Iran, and the areas of shared interests.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023