Pakistan: Jamaat-e-Islami announces nationwide shutter-down strike against inflation on August 28

ISLAMABAD: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Naib, Emir Liaqat Baloch announced that the religio-political party would hold a shutter-down strike across the country on August 28 to mount pressure on the government to provide relief to the masses, Geo News reported.

Baloch, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, said that the trader community made a unanimous decision to observe a nationwide strike against inflation, high electricity prices and imposition of hefty taxes.

He warned that any attempt by the government to stop the strike would push the country into anarchy.

The politico reminded that his party staged a 14-day protest in Rawalpindi and held negotiations with the federal government. The ministers had signed an agreement after accepting the JI's demands for providing relief to the inflation-hit nation earlier this month, as reported by Geo News.

Baloch added that a one-month deadline was set to review the contracts with independent power producers (IPPs) in the agreement. He further demanded the Pakistan government to implement the agreement.

Baloch also hinted at starting a long march to Islamabad if needed. He added that his party had just postponed the sit-in after signing an agreement with the government, however, they would continue their struggle to get relief for the nation.

Before announcing the strike, JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announced another protest two weeks ago, saying that his party would give a call for peaceful protest by joining hands with trader groups.

Notably, the announcement of protests came after the party postponed its 14-day long sit-in on August 9 following successful negotiations with the government over demands including slashing high power tariffs and reviewing agreements with the IPPs which have been under the spotlight as people are paying hefty bills blamed on capacity payments being made to independent power producers, Geo News reported.