Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan organized a protest in Lahore against excessive taxes on electricity bills, demanding the termination of Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The party also held a memorial prayer for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, recently killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
During the protest, Deputy Amir Liaqat Baloch announced plans for a public referendum in October to protect citizens’ rights. He emphasized that the protest signalled to the government that it must honour its commitments.
Baloch stated that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had finalized negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and there were no remaining barriers to implementing public relief measures.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s General Secretary, Amir ul-Azeem, declared, “We will not pay our bills. If the public stops payments, the IPPs will retreat, and we will succeed.”
Other leaders echoed these views, stating that rising electricity costs have made it difficult for citizens to manage. They warned that they would demand government accountability if prices were not reduced.
The protest concluded with a memorial prayer for Hassan Nasrallah, honouring his contributions to resistance movements.
