Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has postponed the sit-ins scheduled for Sunday in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta and announced that nationwide sit-ins will now be held simultaneously on August 16.

The decision was taken at a special meeting chaired by JI Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman to review preparations for the planned protests. The party also decided to observe Independence Day celebrations across the country with full participation.

JI Deputy Ameers Liaqat Baloch and Usama Razi, Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Syed Waqas Anjum Jafri, Azhar Iqbal Hassan, Rasool Khan Babar, Javed Qasuri and Ziauddin Ansari attended the meeting. Emirs of all provinces and major cities participated through video link.

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In a video statement, Rehman said the sit-ins had been shifted from August 9 to August 16 because of Independence Day celebrations.

He said simultaneous sit-ins would be held in all four provinces on August 16, marking the beginning of the party’s nationwide protest campaign.

The JI chief said the party would also celebrate Independence Day in a befitting manner. He said a major sit-in would be held outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s House in Lahore, while protests would take place outside the Governor Houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.

“Hakimran will have to stop oppression and coercion,” Rehman said, adding that the JI would use the sit-ins to press the government to withdraw decisions that, according to the party, were against public interests.

He said the JI had organised demonstrations at 510 locations across the country the previous day in a disciplined manner, describing them as “the voice of Pakistan”. The protesters demanded the withdrawal of the petroleum levy and a reduction in petrol prices.

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Rehman said the JI had also raised its voice against independent power producers (IPPs) and succeeded in getting its demands accepted by the government. He said the party would continue its struggle for the resolution of public issues.

Commenting on the defence agreement between Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, the JI emir welcomed the development, saying it would help reduce Pakistan’s dependence on its enemies.

He called for Qatar, Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia to also be included in the defence arrangement.

JI chief said the inclusion of all Muslim countries in the agreement could lead to the formation of a strong bloc.