Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that the party will postpone its long march pending a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after his return from the United States, however, Hafiz Naeem said the decision does not mean the JI is withdrawing from its protest movement against the petroleum levy.
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Speaking at a press conference in Multan following a consultative meeting with the party’s Shura, Hafiz Naeem said the prime minister’s intervention had provided an opportunity to discuss the issue directly with the government.
He said the JI leadership would meet Shehbaz Sharif after his return from the US, where the prime minister is attending the United Nations General Assembly session.
Hafiz Naeem said the meeting with the prime minister would focus on the petroleum levy and issues related to Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
He maintained that the party’s protest movement would continue, including its nationwide sit-ins and public-contact campaign.
The JI chief said that if the government provided relief to the public, it would be a positive development. Otherwise, he said, the long march would proceed.
The latest development follows several rounds of talks between the government and JI over the petroleum levy. The party has continued to demand its complete withdrawal.
ملتان میں پریس کانفرنس کرتے ہوئے حافظ نعیم الرحمن کا کہنا ہے کہ کل وزیر اعظم نے فون پر کہا اپنے لانگ مارچ کو ملتوی یا مؤخر کریں، وزیر اعظم کو بتایا عوام پریشان ہیں، ہمیں احتجاج کا کوئی شوق نہیں ہے۔ وزیر اعظم نے کہا وہ بیرون ملک ہیں، آؤں گا تو ریلیف دوں گا۔ آج طویل مشاورت سے فیصلہ… pic.twitter.com/tDALjc29ME
— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) September 22, 2026
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted Hafiz Naeem from the United States and requested that the JI postpone its protest march for a few days.
According to the JI spokesperson, the prime minister offered to meet Hafiz Naeem after returning to Pakistan and assured him that the government would consider providing greater relief.
Hafiz Naeem told the prime minister that the JI had been protesting against the petroleum levy for around one and a half months and would not withdraw its demand for the levy to be abolished.
He said he would consult the party leadership before deciding on the prime minister’s request. ARY reported that the decision was subsequently discussed in Multan.
The JI’s “Super Long March” began from Karachi on September 20, with the party’s train march travelling towards Multan and subsequently heading towards Islamabad.
The party has been campaigning against the petroleum levy for several weeks and had announced the Islamabad march after earlier rounds of negotiations with the government failed to resolve the issue.
During a public gathering in Multan, Hafiz Naeem reiterated the party’s demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy and called for relief for the public.
