According to Geo News, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced that the third phase of its campaign to abolish the petroleum levy will begin on October 23, with sit-ins in every district of the country on Friday. The announcement came in a statement from a party spokesperson on Wednesday.
A meeting agreed, then silence
The spokesperson said a government committee had earlier reached out to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, but despite the details being settled, the government never followed up. JI says the only agenda for any such meeting would be scrapping the petroleum levy.
Why the march was paused
JI postponed the next phase of its march on Islamabad on September 22 after contact between the prime minister and Hafiz Naeem. At the time, Hafiz Naeem said the prime minister had asked for the march to be put off and invited the party for talks on his return, but stressed the movement for cheaper fuel and an end to the levy would continue.
Geo News reports the party has already staged sit-ins at 510 locations nationwide and held a shutter-down strike against inflation and fuel prices. JI says it will decide its next steps only after receiving written assurances from the government.