PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Sunday announced holding sit-ins outside the Chief Minister’s House in Punjab and the governor houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan on August 16 against petroleum levy, independent power producers (IPPs), and privileges of the ruling elite.

He claimed that the IPPs had been paid amounts for electricity not even generated over the past four years.

He said this while addressing a news conference at the JI’s Markaz-i-Islami, according to a statement issued here.

Mr Rehman stated that the government collected Rs8 trillion from the public through the petroleum levy and criticised it for turning the levy into a source of revenue during the US-Iran war.

Hafiz Naeem says sit-ins to be organised outside Punjab CM house, governor houses in KP Sindh and Balochistan

Referring to recent protests, he said the large public participation demonstrated that people were fed up with the “Form-47 government” and the prevailing system of governance.

“JI is protecting people’s rights rather than personal or political interests, and this injustice against the people must end,” he said and reiterated his party’s call for an end to excessive privileges for the ruling elite and various vested interests.

He urged people, particularly the youth of KP, to participate in protests in large numbers and thanked Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Awami National Party, and other parties for expressing support for JI’s planned sit-ins.

Talking about the prevailing law and order situation in the province, the JI emir stated that it was the responsibility of the government to maintain law and order.

The JI chief said the people of KP deserved peace as well as their due share in the province’s resources and minerals, adding that providing employment opportunities would enable youngsters to contribute significantly to resolving the province’s problems.

Talking about the Makkah defence agreement, the JI emir welcomed the move, describing it as an important step towards Muslim unity; however, at the same time, he called for including Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Islamic countries which, he said, would be more effective in confronting external threats and challenges.

Regarding suspension of trade with Afghanistan, the JI emir expressed concern about the situation, saying that traders on both sides of the border had been facing issues.

He called for the restoration of border trade and proposed the establishment of dedicated Pakistan-Afghanistan border trade zones in consultation with all stakeholders.

Mr Rehman urged Islamabad and Kabul to resolve their differences through dialogue, stressing that Afghan territory must not be allowed to be used for terrorism against Pakistan, adding that Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could also be approached to help improve relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He called for easier travel facilities for students of both countries, saying deterioration in relations between the two governments was adversely affecting ordinary citizens, traders and students.

The JI emir criticised the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council for not recognising medical degrees obtained by Pakistani students from Afghanistan and demanded that their degrees be recognised.

He also raised the issue of displaced persons from Tirah Valley, saying that people had initially been told that they would return after a month once the military operation was completed, but even after several months, they were still not able to return to their homes.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2026