LAHORE: In a series of coordinated protests across Punjab on Sunday, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) staged sit-ins and rallies to protest against inflation and skyrocketing electricity bills, drawing attention to the economic struggles of the masses. The protests, led by JI leaders and supported by workers from across the country, were held in response to the failure of the federal government to reduce electricity tariffs, as per the agreement reached with JI 45 days earlier. In Lahore, JI supporters, including women, gathered at Bhekkewal intersection on Wahdat Road, blocking traffic and demanding government action on inflation and rising utility costs. Led by Liaquat Baloch, Zikrullah Mujahid,and Ziuddin Ansari, protesters voiced their frustration over the government’s inaction. Mr Baloch said the sit-in was part of a broader movement called by JI emir Hafiz Naeem to seek relief for the public, which has been struggling under the burden of higher electricity tariffs. He criticised the government for reneging on its promise to JI, made during a protest in Islamabad, to address these concerns within 45 days. “The government must fulfill every clause of the agreement it signed with us. It is focusing on political battles instead of solving the economic problems of the masses,” Baloch said. JI activists, under the leadership of district emir Dr Babar Rashid, tried stage a protest rally outside the Okara Press Club. The demonstration, originally planned to condemn Israel and the United States, quickly shifted focus towards local issues of inflation and high utility bills. The rally, which began at Ghusia Mosque Chowk, drew a heavy police presence. City police prevented the protesters from delivering speeches and dispersed the gathering. Eight activists, including prominent JI members Rab Nawaz Musrera, Rai Attique Rehman Kharl, Tahir Saleem Joyia and others were arrested. JI, however, claimed that 25 workers had been detained. The protestors later gathered at Government Graduate College for Men to offer funeral prayers in absentia for Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack, before peacefully dispersing. JI workers gathered at GTS Chowk to stage their protest. Holding banners and placards, the protesters demanded the government reduce electricity tariffs as promised. Punjab JI emir Dr Tariq Saleem reminded the government of its commitments made during JI’s previous sit-in in Rawalpindi. He condemned the police’s actions in various cities, where JI workers were arrested, calling the crackdown on peaceful protests illegal. After the protest, funeral prayers were held in absentia for Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah. In Gujranwala, JI workers held a sit-in on GT Road. The protest was soon interrupted by police, who arrested them. Among those detained were Gujranwala JI emir Mazhar Iqbal Randhawa and Khalid Chahal. Despite the arrests, JI vowed to continue its protests until the government provided relief to the public. JI workers also staged sit-ins in Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, and other towns. A coalition of Shia organisations, including the Imamia Students Organisation, Majlis-i-Wahdat Muslimeen and Anjuman-i-Hussainia, took to the streets to protest against Israel, condemning the killing of Hezbollah leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah. The demonstrators burned Israeli flags and raised slogans against Israel and its supporters, including the United States. Their leaders also addressed the crowd, highlighting the ongoing struggle in Palestine. In Faisalabad, police dispersed a JI sit-in in Jaranwala that was organised to protest against the government’s failure to reduce electricity tariffs. The protest camp was dismantled, and three JI workers—Shoaib Azam, Tayyab Nawaz, and Muhammad Anees—were arrested. A TV reporter covering the event, Hamza Naseer Ghazi, was also detained by the police.