The federal government has signaled it has no patience left for the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) sit-in currently paralyzing parts of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, labeled the protest an “embarrassment” on Tuesday, urging the party leadership to call it off immediately.
Sanaullah’s comments come as the JI protest enters its second week, with demonstrators digging in at Liaquat Bagh. The protest, centered on rising electricity bills and taxes, has created a logistical nightmare for residents, forcing the closure of major arteries and metro bus services.
“There is no purpose to this now,” Sanaullah told reporters in Islamabad. “The public is suffering, and the party is only damaging its own credibility by dragging this out.”
The government’s stance remains firm: the demands regarding tax relief and electricity tariffs are tied to IMF agreements, leaving little room for domestic adjustment. Finance officials have consistently maintained that rolling back these measures would trigger a breach of the loan program, a risk the current administration says it cannot afford.
JI leadership, however, refuses to budge. Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, the party’s chief, insists the sit-in will continue until the government provides a concrete timeline for reducing fuel prices and taxing the elite.
The political impasse is taking a toll on the capital’s economy. Small business owners in the commercial hubs near the protest site report near-zero footfall, while commuters face hours-long traffic jams that have effectively cut off parts of the twin cities.
While the government has avoided a heavy-handed crackdown to prevent a public relations disaster, Sanaullah’s rhetoric suggests the strategy of patience is wearing thin. By framing the protest as an “embarrassment,” the government is attempting to pivot public opinion against the protesters, shifting the narrative from economic grievances to the disruption of daily life.
Whether the JI will heed this call remains to be seen. For now, the barricades stay up, and the standoff continues.
