ISLAMABAD: Jamat-e-Islami (JI), a Pakistani religio-political party, on Saturday vowed to continue its sit-in in Rawalpindi against the rising cost of living and additional taxes imposed in the latest budget, despite the government forming a negotiation committee for talks with the protesters.
The JI, led by Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, announced the sit-in in Islamabad to call for a reduction in power tariff amid soaring inflation and to review Pakistan’s agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).
The party’s caravans entered the capital from different directions as the district administration closed the capital’s Red Zone, which houses top government offices and the diplomatic enclave, with shipping containers and roads leading to parliament.
“Our dharna will continue as long as the government accepts our demands for a significant reduction in inflation and electricity prices,” Aamir Baloch, a JI spokesperson, told Arab News.
“The party chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman will be announcing a fresh strategy for the protests, dharna and engagement with the government today afternoon.”
The government has formed a three-member committee, which includes Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and two senior members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, to hold talks with the JI leadership.
“We are ready for negotiations, but don’t disrupt public life,” Tarar said at a news conference on Friday. “The government’s three-member committee will talk to you. Amir Muqam, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and I will negotiate with you. Whenever you express willingness, we are ready for the negotiations.”
But Baloch said the party would continue its protest and JI chief Rehman would join the sit-in at Zero Point — a major intersection in the city where various key roads and highways connect with each other — on Saturday.
He said thousands of JI workers had already reached the area, despite the government’s “brutalities.”
“The police have arrested dozens of our peaceful workers from D-Chowk,” he said, referring to a key spot close to the parliament building in Islamabad.
“The government wants to incite the peaceful protesters through such strong-arm tactics. It will be responsible for any law-and-order situation, if our workers are not released immediately.”
Police in the capital have deployed additional contingents, including personnel with riot gears, to prevent any untoward incident.
The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Expressway has also been closed with shipping containers near the Zero Point bridge, where the JI protesters have gathered.
Baloch said the party leadership would announce their future course of action after reaching Zero Point.
“One thing is for sure,” he said. “We are here to stay and will definitely stage a sit-in to press the government to meet our legitimate demands regarding inflation and taxes.”

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb briefed Governor of People’s Bank of China (PBoC) Pan Gongsheng on Pakistan’s plan to launch panda bonds during a meeting in Beijing on Friday in which they discussed a wide range of economic issues.
Panda bonds are sold in China’s domestic market and are denominated in its currency, though they are issued by non-Chinese entities. Pakistan plans to issue these bonds to diversify its funding sources and strengthen its foreign exchange reserves by attracting Chinese investors.
According to local media reports, the initial issuance is expected to raise between $250 million and $300 million, helping Pakistan improve its financial stability amid economic challenges like high inflation and declining forex reserves.
The minister spoke about the government’s economic policy during the meeting in which reprentatives of other financial institutions were also present.
“Underlining Pakistan’s plan to launch panda bonds, Minister for Finance briefed PBoC and other Financial Institutions about the steps taken so far and sought cooperation of the Chinese institutional investors in the capital market to seek benefit from the pro-business policies of the new [Pakistani] Government,” said a statement issued by the finance division after the meeting.
The Pakistani official also highlighted his country’s improving macroeconomic indicators, reforms in tax collection and energy sector and privatization of loss-making state-owned enterprises.
He applauded Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative while reviewing the progress of its flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
The minister noted the next phase of CPEC would focus on strengthening business-to-business cooperation, with private sector playing the central role in the development and economic growth.
He arrived in China on Thursday to open talks on power sector structural reforms suggested by the International Monetary Fund, two government sources quoted by Reuters.
Aurangzeb is also accompanied by Pakistan’s Power Minster Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari.
According to Reuters, both officials are expected to take up several proposals with the Chinese side, including reprofiling of nearly $15 billion energy sector debt.