Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned the government of a nationwide shutdown, road blockades and a march on Islamabad if it fails to accept the JI's demands, saying public patience over inflation, taxes and high energy costs has run out.

Addressing a press conference at the JI sit-in outside the Punjab CM House in Lahore on Tuesday, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the protests had entered their 10th day and were gaining momentum across the country. 'The people's patience has run out,' he said, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the petroleum levy and unjustified taxes. He said the ongoing sit-ins would continue until the government provided meaningful relief to the people.

JI Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Janjua, Deputy Secretary Russel Khan Babar, JI Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, JI Central Punjab Emir Javed Qasoori and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were also present at the press conference.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said JI would announce the date for a nationwide strike on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal, while protests would continue during Eid Milad-un-Nabi celebrations. He said the party had mobilised people across all four provinces and would expand the campaign if its demands were ignored.

He said the government and those running the system failed to address the country's economic problems, adding successive decisions had shifted the burden of state failures onto ordinary citizens. 'Governments in other countries have increased fuel prices only marginally even amid war conditions, but our rulers have turned the war into an opportunity to make money,' he said.

The JI chief demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and other taxes imposed on fuel, saying commuters, students, labourers and bike riders were struggling to cope with rising costs. He also called for reducing the price of roti to Rs10.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also raised questions over irregularities in coal imported for IPPs, calling for a forensic audit of the entire process. He said that the Power Division had itself acknowledged irregularities in coal-related transactions. He demanded an independent forensic investigation to determine who had benefited from malpractice.

The JI leader said consumers were being forced to pay for expensive fuel, electricity that was not generated and questionable IPP arrangements. He added that the public was ultimately bearing the cost of government and elite extravagance.

Referring to JI's previous campaign against IPPs, Rehman said public pressure had contributed to a reduction of around Rs10 per unit in electricity prices. He warned that the JI would intensify its protest if the government failed to respond to its demands.

'Shutdowns, road blockades and a march on Islamabad are among our options,' he said, adding that the government should not test the party's resolve.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also criticised the political system, saying governments lacking genuine public support remained weak. Referring to the ruling coalition as a Form-47 product, he said that it had failed to resolve the problems confronting ordinary Pakistanis.

He said the PPP damaged Sindh and criticised family monopoly in Punjab. He also questioned the failure to hold local government elections for years.

Criticising the Punjab government, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said its much-publicised initiatives could not conceal its failure to address fundamental issues. He particularly objected to the reported outsourcing of 11,000 government schools, saying the move amounted to the government abandoning its responsibility to educate children.

He said the government damaged the agriculture sector through poor policies and spending public money on publicity campaigns rather than addressing people's problems.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stressed that JI was protesting not for personal or political interests but for the rights of the people. He invited the government's negotiating committee to come to the protest camp and explain when the petroleum levy would be withdrawn and how relief would be provided to the public. 'We will not go to Islamabad merely to receive a briefing from any committee,' he said.

On the issue concerning Sarhad University, the JI emir said the matter should be dealt with strictly according to law. He called for a merit-based investigation and action against anyone found responsible, regardless of their position or influence.