LAHORE – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced on Wednesday that his party will not join any grand opposition alliance, citing a history of political coalitions that delivered more damage than dividends to the religious party.
Speaking at a meeting with senior journalists and editors in Lahore, Rehman said the JI would now pursue the public’s grievances through its own platform, aiming to force systemic change rather than relying on fragile multi-party fronts.
“Past political alliances caused more harm than benefit to Jamaat-e-Islami,” Rehman said. “We will independently take up the people’s case.”
No Sit-ins While Talks Continue Behind Closed Doors
The JI chief dismissed the possibility of staging simultaneous sit-ins in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar while negotiations with the government continued privately in Islamabad. He argued that such a dual approach undermines the credibility of street movements.
Rehman also revealed that the party’s strategy for a nationwide shutter-down strike would be announced on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal. The movement, he said, would progress through escalating phases—beginning with a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike before culminating in a decisive march toward Islamabad.
Economic Grievances at the Core
Earlier, addressing a press conference in Lahore, Rehman insisted the government must reduce petroleum product prices. He said the country cannot progress while flour and sugar mafias operate unchecked, and he urged ordinary citizens to join the JI’s struggle.
He also criticized the state of agriculture, saying farmers are unable to access affordable fertilizers while government officials use expensive vehicles funded by taxpayers’ money.
The JI has been protesting against the petroleum levy for three consecutive days, with Rehman framing the agitation as a battle against economic injustice rather than a conventional political campaign.
