Jamaat-e-Islami organized protests in the Red Zones of Rawalpindi and Karachi to reduce the burden of electricity bills on the common people and to demand cuts in government expenditures. Jamaat-e-Islami’s chief, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, and other leaders delivered fiery speeches daily. They emphasized the need to terminate agreements with IPPs and remove unnecessary taxes included in electricity bills.
A key point in Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman’s speeches is the reduction of government expenses. He suggests that the Prime Minister and ministers should abandon their luxury vehicles and adopt the policies of former Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo. After Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s fall from power in Bangladesh, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has begun warning Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of a similar fate. While PTI leader Imran Khan supported Jamaat-e-Islami’s protests, PTI’s leadership and senior members were not seen participating.
The protest in Islamabad was held at Liaquat Bagh, and in Karachi, tents were set up in front of the Governor House. The administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi cooperated fully with the protesters.
Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori opened the doors of the Governor House to the protesters, and the 14-day protest ended with a 10-point agreement with the federal government. However, the agreement was signed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, as Energy Minister Owais Leghari and Finance Minister Orangi Zeb were unavailable. Mohsin Naqvi assured that there would be some reduction in electricity prices.
The agreement between Jamaat-e-Islami and the government includes measures to reduce the per-unit cost of electricity and to link electricity pricing directly to its unit cost. It was also agreed to consult with international or national experts. The agreement involves reviewing IPP setups, suggesting new approaches, and checking for weaknesses in the current setup. Jamaat-e-Islami also agreed that the circular debt would be reviewed, and the federal government agreed to impose income tax on landlords in collaboration with provincial governments to free the country from IMF constraints. Both parties agreed that salaried individuals would be exempt from new taxes, maintaining last year’s system. Finally, a committee will prepare recommendations on these points to present to the Prime Minister, who will make the final decision.
Upon reviewing the agreement, it is evident that if the government is genuinely committed to implementing it, a new budget will need to be prepared. The government has already prepared provincial governments to impose agricultural income tax under IMF conditions, and agriculture is a provincial matter under the constitution. The federal government cannot play a role in this.
Despite Jamaat-e-Islami leaders’ fiery speeches, the agreement does not include a clause requiring the Prime Minister, ministers, and bureaucrats to use smaller vehicles. Multiple rounds of negotiations between Jamaat-e-Islami leadership and federal ministers have proven fruitless. Federal Energy Minister Owais Leghari appears on television every other day, explaining the successful aspects of the government’s energy policy, while stating that the government cannot revise agreements with IPPs. The government is obliged to include capacity charges in electricity bills.
A look at Jamaat-e-Islami’s history reveals that while the party was established on August 26, 1941, it never included public issues as a core policy. The party’s leaders focused on the implementation of an Islamic system, but when Qazi Hussain Ahmed became the Amir, changes in Jamaat-e-Islami’s policy began. Critics say that earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami’s campaigns were only for Sunni Muslims, but during the tenures of Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Syed Munawar Hassan, and Siraj-ul-Haq, the party began addressing public issues. Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, when he became the Amir of Karachi, made significant changes in the party’s policy.
He worked to address all basic issues of Karachi’s citizens—water, identity cards, electricity, and public transport—which yielded substantial results in local elections. While Jamaat-e-Islami and other professional organizations campaign against the heavy burden of electricity bills, signs of change in the government’s behavior are not apparent. A report in the Express newspaper revealed that only the Sahiwal Power Plant’s 3-rupee unit has now become 285 rupees.
While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers repeatedly explain the government’s difficulties to the public and the Prime Minister announces weekly reductions in federal expenses, the bureaucracy running the government remains unwilling to cut back on its extravagance. A report in a newspaper revealed that the Finance Ministry distributed 240 million rupees as bonuses to its employees in violation of rules and without cabinet approval. According to the report, this bonus was not included in salaries to avoid income tax. The Accountant General of Pakistan recommended that this bonus be reclaimed through the federal cabinet.
The matter of accountability for the Finance Ministry has now reached the Prime Minister. Critics of Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest also point out that PTI has been seeking permission to hold a rally in Islamabad for a month, visiting the office of the Islamabad Chief Commissioner. PTI had approached the Islamabad High Court for permission to protest. Although permission was granted once under the court’s order, the Deputy Commissioner canceled the rally at the last moment.
Jamaat-e-Islami is a highly organized party, and it is certain that millions of rupees were collected in donations to organize this protest, and this money was spent under transparency principles. However, in the final analysis, it can be said that Jamaat-e-Islami’s project was not highly successful. Although Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has expressed intentions to protest again after 45 days, a significant change in the situation seems unlikely.