ISLAMABAD: The top leader of a Pakistani religious party protesting against the rising cost of living threatened to occupy major highways around the country during a media interaction on Tuesday, demanding that the government reduce its own expenses and run the affairs of the state more transparently.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) decided to stage a sit-in in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi to seek a reduction in power tariffs and overall taxes, with its protest entering the sixth consecutive day.
The top JI leaders, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, has asked the government to make its agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) public before renegotiating them.
“Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced that in the next phase of their sit-in, the party will occupy major highways,” said a JI statement.
“The rulers claim they cannot disclose these agreements to the nation,” it added, quoting its top leader. “They can drain the public’s blood and increase bills, but they cannot make these agreements public. This oppression will no longer continue, and a forensic audit of the IPPs should be conducted.”
Naeem-ur-Rehman said demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declare that no minister or government officer will use a vehicle exceeding 1300 cc, suggesting that stopping the use of large vehicles would save 350 billion rupees.
He questioned why Sharif could not work on this issue, accusing his government of being unwilling to benefit the people.
“The public pays for their extravagances through bills and taxes,” he added.
He thanked former Prime Minister Imran Khan for praising the sit-in and mentioned ongoing contacts and meetings with the six-party opposition alliance, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (Movement for the Protection of Pakistan’s Constitution).
While he noted that the JI would welcome its leaders at its protest demonstration, he said his party did not want to join any alliance.
The JI plans a protest sit-in in front of the Governor House in southern Sindh province later today.
Pakistani religio-political party threatens highway blockades as protests against inflation spiral
https://arab.news/848y5
Pakistani religio-political party threatens highway blockades as protests against inflation spiral
- Jamaat-e-Islami wants PM Shehbaz Sharif to declare no minister or official will use a vehicle exceeding 1300 cc
- The party has announced a protest sit-in in front of the Governor House in southern Sindh province later today
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
