JI plans August 16 sit‑ins against petroleum levy and IPPs, demands peace and resource rights for K‑P.

Jamaat‑e‑Islam (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman called for peace in Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa and for residents to receive a fair share of the province’s minerals and resources. In a press conference held at Al‑Markaz Islami in Peshawar, he announced that JI would stage sit‑ins on 16 August outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s House and the governor houses of Khyber‑Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan. The protest would target the petroleum levy, independent power producers (IPPs) and the perceived extravagance of the ruling elite. The JI leaders present included Central Emir Abdul Wasey, Secretary General Sabir Hussain Awan, Peshawar Emir Bahrullah Advocate, Deputy Emir Sohaibuddin Kakakhel, Media Cell Director Ahmed Furqan Khalil and spokesperson Noorul Wahid Jadoon. Rehman stressed that ensuring security for people in the province is the government’s top responsibility, and that the public should have a say in the province’s resources and mineral wealth. He also said that employment for young people would help solve K‑P’s problems. He urged Islamabad and Kabul to settle differences through dialogue and called for the reopening of Pakistan‑Afghanistan border trade. He proposed a trade zone on the border with consultation from all stakeholders. Rehman noted that Saudi Arabia and Turkey could be approached to assist in improving bilateral relations. The emir condemned the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s refusal to recognize medical degrees earned by Pakistani students in Afghanistan, demanding that those degrees be accepted. He welcomed the Makkah Defence Agreement as a step towards Muslim unity and called on Iran and other Islamic countries to join the arrangement.