ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced on Sunday the government had established a committee to discuss demands laid by a Pakistani religious political party protesting rising costs of living by holding a sit-in in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.
Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party supporters have camped at Rawalpindi’s historic Liaqat Bagh ground to demand the government revoke additional taxes introduced in the federal budget presented last month, among other demands.
JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded a reduction in power tariffs recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and a review of Pakistan’s loss-making agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).
The JI has also called on the Pakistani government to provide a 50 percent “relief” to people who consumed up to 500 units of electricity, abolish petroleum levy, and withdraw a recent hike in petroleum prices.
“The JI has presented 10 demands which will be discussed with the technical committee tomorrow to assess the available fiscal space,” Tarar told reporters, after the first round of talks with representatives of the JI.
“A technical committee has been formed, which includes the Minister of Water and Energy, the Secretary of Energy, and representatives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Finance Ministry.”
Tarar said the government aimed to resolve the issue in the next phase of talks with a “positive attitude” and to ensure a “respectful conclusion.”
The government established a three-member committee on Friday to negotiate with JI leaders after the party reported that hundreds of its members had been arrested by law enforcement agencies. The JI presented its list of demands to the government during a round of talks on Saturday night.
Tarar said efforts were being made to reduce the expenses of state-owned enterprises and fiscal space would be created with the digitization of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), allowing for relief to be passed on to the public.
“The government has provided a Rs50 billion subsidy for consumers using up to 200 units of electricity during the three-month summer period to help reduce their electricity bills and ease their financial burden,” he said.
Regarding the sit-in, the minister said Liaquat Bagh had been designated as the location and hoped that participants would stay inside the venue to avoid traffic snarl-ups and road closures.
Liaqat Baloch, head of the JI negotiation team, said the first round of talks was held in a “positive environment” and expressed the resolve to continue the sit-in until the party’s demands were met.
“The government committee has promised to discuss our demands in a technical committee and will get back to us tomorrow,” he said. “Our protest and sit-in will continue until we achieve positive results for the people.”
Baloch hoped the government would show seriousness in addressing the public’s demands.
“Otherwise, this force of people will compel them to take our demands seriously,” he added.
Speaking about the arrested JI workers, Baloch said the government committee had assured them of their release.
“Thirty-five of our members are still detained, but the government committee assured us they will be released soon as we have provided the list,” he said.
Separately, the power division refuted claims that the government was providing free electricity to parliamentarians and bureaucrats.
“There is no truth in providing free electricity to the members of parliament and bureaucrats,” it said, in response to some media reports.
No government institution was being provided free electricity either, the power division added.
Protests against inflation, new taxes continue as Pakistan government forms panel to discuss demands
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Protests against inflation, new taxes continue as Pakistan government forms panel to discuss demands
- Thousands have camped in Rawalpindi since Friday to demand government reduce power tariff, petroleum levy and prices of essential goods
- Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has urged protesters to limit themselves to the designated venue to avoid traffic jams and road closures
Pakistan says responding to Afghan ‘offensive operations’ after border fire as tensions escalate
- Afghan Taliban spokesperson says “large-scale offensive operations” launched against Pakistani military bases
- Pakistan says Afghan forces opened “unprovoked” fire across multiple sectors along shared border
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said on Thursday they had launched “large-scale offensive operations” against Pakistani military bases and installations, prompting Pakistan to say its forces were responding to what it described as unprovoked fire along the shared border.
The escalation follows Islamabad’s weekend airstrikes targeting what it said were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh militant camps inside Afghanistan in response to a wave of recent bombings and attacks in Pakistan. Islamabad said the strikes killed over 100 militants, while Kabul said dozens of civilians were killed and condemned the attacks as a violation of its sovereignty.
In a post on social media platform X, Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Afghanistan had launched “large-scale offensive operations” in response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said Afghan forces had initiated hostilities along multiple points of the frontier.
“Afghan Taliban regime unprovoked action along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border given an immediate, and effective response,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement said Pakistani forces were targeting Taliban positions in the Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur sectors, claiming heavy Afghan casualties and the destruction of multiple posts and equipment. It added that Pakistan would take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial integrity and the security of its citizens.
Separately, security officials said Pakistani forces had carried out counterattacks in several border sectors.
“Pakistan’s security forces are giving a befitting reply to the unprovoked Afghan aggression with full force,” a security official said, declining to be named.
“The Pakistani security forces’ counter-attack destroyed Taliban’s hideouts and the Khawarij fled,” they added, referring to TTP militants.
The claims from both sides could not be independently verified.
Cross-border violence has intensified in recent weeks, with Pakistan blaming a surge in suicide bombings and militant attacks on militants it says are based in Afghanistan. Kabul denies providing safe havens to anti-Pakistan militant groups.
The clashes mark the third major escalation between the neighbors in less than a year. Similar Pakistani strikes last year triggered weeklong clashes before Qatar, Türkiye and other regional actors mediated a ceasefire in October.
The 2,600-kilometer (1,600-mile) frontier, a key trade and transit corridor linking Pakistan to landlocked Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia, has faced repeated closures amid tensions, disrupting commerce and humanitarian movement. Trade between the two nations has remained closed since October 2025.
