Protesters Rally Against High Electricity Costs

Hundreds of supporters of a key Islamist party began a sit-in protest in the garrison city of Rawalpindi after authorities detained dozens to prevent them from holding the rally in Pakistan’s neighboring capital, citing security reasons, officials said.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan party originally issued a call for holding the sit-in near the parliament building in Islamabad to pressure the government to withdraw a substantial increase in electricity costs, which have drawn nationwide criticism. People complain they are getting electricity bills even higher than their salaries.

Naeem-ur-Rehman, who heads Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, told demonstrators in Rawalpindi that he was willing to stage the sit-in even for weeks. He said police arrested a large number of the party’s supporters to prevent them from staging the sit-in in Islamabad.

Authorities say electricity fees have been increased to meet conditions set by the International Monetary Fund during negotiations that led to a staff-level agreement for a new $7 billion loan deal for Pakistan earlier this month.

Protesters gathered in Islamabad to demonstrate against inflation and taxes on energy bills.

Supporters of Pakistan's major Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami were prevented from entering a zone of capital Islamabad in a bid to stage a sit-in.

Local authorities barricaded the roads leading to the so-called Red Zone, where top government offices, the diplomatic enclave and Parliament House are located, with shipping containers.

Several protesters who tried to cross the barriers were arrested by police.

During a rally, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman called for justice for "250 million people" and said taxes should be removed.

Later in the evening the government announced that they had formed a three-member committee to talk to Jamaat-e-Islami leadership.