RAWALPINDI: The government has started formal communication with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to have “serious talks” as the latter continues its demonstration against rising inflation and excessive electricity bills, while the former continues its sit-in protest at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi, according to The News.
At the location of the sit-in on Murree Road, Liaquat Bagh, late on Saturday night, a three-person government delegation comprising Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of Energy Awais Leghari, and MNA Tariq Fazal Chaudhry paid a visit to the JI leadership. The delegation offered to have a conversation.
JI Emir Hafiz Naeem was instructed to halt the sit-in by the ministry of information. However, the main JI leader rejected the request and said the protest would continue until all of the requests were made.
According to a protesting party representative, Naeem refused to call off the demonstration unless their demands were met. citing the JI leader as saying that although talks would undoubtedly take place, their demands would not be waived.
Later, Muhammad Kashif Chaudhry, the leader of traders, and JI Vice Emir Liaquat Baloch were briefly met by the leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
After his conversations, Tarar informed the media in a statement that the official procedure for talks with the JI will start on Sunday. “The JI leadership will constitute a committee to start the process of talks with the government,” he said.
The JI vice emir was contacted earlier on Saturday by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to discuss the demands of the religio-political party. In the course of the phone call,
