Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday announced the party has decided to suspend—but not cancel—its long march to Islamabad, pending a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon his return to Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference in Multan, reached by the party’s long march a day earlier, he recalled the JI had been seeking the abolition of the petroleum levy since July. Noting that the demonstrations had started with protests before evolving into sit-ins, a strike, and eventually the long march, he said the agenda had always remained public relief.
Referring to his call with the prime minister—currently in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly—from Monday night, he said Sharif had detailed the fuel relief scheme introduced last week. Describing this as insufficient, Rehman said he had maintained the only solution was a withdrawal of the petroleum levy. However, he said, the prime minister had urged him to hold off on the long march until after his return to Pakistan, maintaining he would announce a new relief package in consultation with the JI.
The JI chief said he had informed the prime minister that he would deliberate on the matter with the central shura of his party. Following a meeting of the party’s leadership, he announced they had decided to continue with their sit-ins and temporarily suspend the long march until the meeting with Sharif. He warned that during this time the party would continue mobilizing for its demands, adding its preparations for the long march would also continue. If the meeting fails to produce any results, he said, the party would resume its long march in October.
During his address, Rehman noted that no other political party was working for the public welfare. He thanked the public for its support to the JI, adding the ultimate solution remained the end to the petroleum levy to reduce fuel prices and curb inflation of essential commodities.
The JI commenced its long march via train from Karachi on Monday. Its first leg concluded in Multan, with the party saying its next stop would have been Lahore before proceeding to Islamabad.