KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan leader Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman has announced that a “public referendum” will be held to decide whether citizens should continue to pay electricity bills or not. At a press conference in Mansoorah, Hafiz Naeem revealed that the referendum would be held from October 23 to 27 following a series of nationwide protests. The JI leader criticized the government for imposing “unfair taxes” and allowing independent power producers (IPPs) to “benefit from public costs”. He accused the government of failing to fulfill its promises to help citizens and vowed to launch a new wave of protests after October 7 if the situation did not improve. As part of its “Haq Do Awam Ko” (Give the people their rights) movement, Jamaat-e-Islami organized a series of demonstrations against rising electricity bills and taxes. Hafiz Naeem also highlighted the party’s successful strike, which he said promoted national unity. He called for an end to the privileges granted to government ministers and IPPs, arguing that ordinary people were paying the price for policies favoring a few. He added that the upcoming protests and the JI “referendum” are aimed at ensuring justice for the public and putting pressure on the government to take remedial measures.
