Jamaat-e-Islami has put the next stage of its long march toward Islamabad on hold, with the party’s Emir, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, confirming that the group will stay put in Multan pending a sit-down with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Speaking to reporters in Multan on Tuesday, Hafiz Naeem said the JI Islamabad march postponement came after the prime minister personally reached out to him, asking that the advance be delayed and offering to sit down with party leaders for talks.
“We will definitely meet the prime minister,” Hafiz Naeem told the press conference, noting that the sit-down would be scheduled once PM Shehbaz completes his current trip abroad and returns to the country.
Multan Sit-In to Continue Despite Pause in March
Even with the JI Islamabad march postponed, Hafiz Naeem made clear the protest itself is far from over. He said the sit-in camp in Multan would remain active until the promised meeting with the premier actually takes place.
“Whatever happens, we will continue our movement and the sit-ins will continue,” he stated, ruling out any immediate withdrawal from the ongoing agitation.
The JI chief argued that the relief package announced so far by the federal government falls short of what’s needed. He repeated the party’s core demand: a cut in petrol prices alongside the complete removal of the petroleum levy.
According to Hafiz Naeem, JI has already shared multiple pricing proposals with government representatives, but officials have consistently pushed back, citing binding conditions tied to Pakistan’s ongoing IMF loan programme as the reason the levy cannot be scrapped.
He added that before agreeing to any next step, JI intends to secure written commitments from the government rather than relying on verbal assurances alone.
Nationwide Pressure Campaign Behind the Talks
Hafiz Naeem said the current round of engagement follows several earlier meetings between JI representatives and federal ministers in the lead-up to the march, alongside a broader countrywide campaign that has kept pressure on Islamabad.
He revealed that Jamaat-e-Islami organized sit-in demonstrations at roughly 510 locations nationwide and enforced a shutter-down strike as part of its drive against soaring fuel costs and general inflation.
Framing the movement as public-interest driven, the JI emir insisted the party had no personal or political motive, and that the entire campaign was aimed squarely at easing the financial burden on ordinary citizens. He reiterated that talks with the government would continue alongside, not instead of, the party’s active protest campaign.
PM Shehbaz’s Office Confirms Request for Postponement
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that PM Shehbaz personally called Hafiz Naeem and requested that the planned Islamabad sit-in be pushed back.
During the call, the prime minister said his government was already extending relief on petroleum products specifically targeted at low-income and middle-class citizens, despite the country’s tough economic circumstances. He assured Hafiz Naeem that efforts to provide further relief would continue wherever possible.
The PMO statement noted that Hafiz Naeem responded positively to the prime minister’s appeal, indicating that Jamaat-e-Islami was actively weighing whether to delay its planned march on the capital.
Both leaders reportedly agreed to hold a formal meeting once PM Shehbaz returns from his overseas visit, with consultations on the fuel price dispute set to continue from there.