ISLAMABAD: The warning came two days after the JI staged countrywide protests, during which six party workers were arrested in Karachi for allegedly setting motorcycles and tyres on fire. The JI has distanced itself from those involved in the incidents.

The announcement followed an agreement between the JI and the federal government to establish committees tasked with recommending measures to reduce the petroleum levy and provide relief to consumers. The committees were announced by Rehman, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad alongside JI Deputy Chief Mian Muhammad Aslam and Islamabad Amir Nasrullah Randhawa, Rehman said formal talks with the government would commence on Monday. He added that sit-in protests would continue across the country during the negotiations.

The JI chief strongly criticized the government and bureaucracy, referring to the current setup as a constitutionally questionable “Form-47 arrangement”. He accused the administration of shifting the cost of its alleged inefficiency and excessive spending onto citizens through increased taxation.

Rehman said the JI’s previous 21-day protest campaign, which included sit-ins at numerous locations across the country, had resulted in what he described as significant economic gains. He claimed public pressure contributed to a reduction of electricity prices by Rs10 to Rs12 per unit, while negotiations with independent power producers saved the national exchequer Rs4,300 billion.

Discussing Pakistan’s economic challenges, Rehman claimed the country’s total debt had climbed to Rs110 trillion, with annual interest payments reaching Rs8 trillion. He argued that reducing the central bank’s policy rate by three percentage points could make it possible to eliminate the petroleum levy.

The JI emir also raised concerns over alleged institutional inefficiency and corruption, claiming that the Federal Board of Revenue incurs annual losses of around Rs1,300bn due to poor performance. He further criticised payments being made to re-gasification plants despite the absence of corresponding liquefied natural gas supplies.

Turning to governance and public services, Rehman cited recent problems in the social sector, including the fire at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and the reported 50 per cent failure rate in Punjab’s ninth-grade examinations.

He also criticised major political parties in Sindh, accusing them of failing to adequately address Karachi’s longstanding problems. According to Rehman, continued neglect of the city’s grievances had contributed to growing demands among some residents for a separate province.

Outlining the party’s next steps, Rehman announced that the JI would launch a nationwide signature campaign seeking the support of 50 million citizens. The campaign will focus on structural economic relief, reforms to the local government system and a reduction in the price of bread to Rs10.