RAWALPINDI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will continue the ongoing anti-inflation sit-in in Rawalpindi, the party’s Naib Emir Liaqat Baloch announced on Sunday after holding the first round of talks with the government.
A three-member delegation including Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Amir Muqam, and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry met the JI negotiation committee at the Rawalpindi commissioner’s office amid mounting pressure on the government as the Rawalpindi sit-in entered its third day.
Speaking to the media after the negotiations today, Baloch said that the first round of talks was held in a “pleasant environment”.
“We laid out our demands before the government, and they will set up a technical team tomorrow (Monday) to look into them,” Baloch said.
He added that JI had conveyed its agenda to the government, clearly stating that the sit-in protest was completely apolitical and aimed solely at demanding relief for the masses tormented by the scourge of runaway inflation.
The politico said that there might be more rounds of talks; however, the protest sit-in would continue till their demands are accepted.
“Electricity and petrol prices have become unbearable for the nation, whereas, the government has not signed any international agreement with the independent power producers (IPPs),” he said.
The party naib emir said that the JI would not let anyone sacrifice the nation to protect the capitalists’ interests. “The masses will get relief if the government takes their miseries seriously,” he added.
Baloch also told the media that they had handed over a list of 35 persons, who were arrested during the ongoing protest, to the government. He, however, added that said most of the arrested JI workers had been released.
