JI Defers Islamabad long March, date to be finalised on Friday

LAHORE: Leader of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday declared that the party has decided to defer its demand for marching to Islamabad for one day and that a final decision will be made by the JI central leadership and announced in a public gathering in Gujranwala on Friday.

Speaking to the participants in the sit-in of Jamaat-i-Islami outside Punjab Assembly which is now in its 26th day.

Rehman said that the government has been given enough time to respond to the demands of the party and there would be no more delay on their part and that any refusal to give relief would mean a march all over the country and ultimately lead to movement against the government.

According to him, all JI leaders of the country have been asked to report to Mansoora for a meeting at 3pm on Friday.

Rehman told the press that two rounds of talks with the government had not yielded any tangible result. According to Rehman, the government is asking for more time for consultation with concerned ministries regarding the petroleum levy but JI cannot wait forever.

JI leader accused the government of using international prices to defend its policy of high petroleum prices along with the imposition of petroleum levy. The JI chief demanded that the petroleum levy be stopped and the burden of which was falling on all sections of society.

He also criticized the government's expenditures saying that rulers, officials, and ministers must refrain from the use of expensive cars and fuel because many proposals have been given to the government.