HYDERABAD – Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Monday questioned a delay in the train scheduled to take his caravan from Sukkur to Multan, with him later departing on the “second phase” of his party’s protest march to Islamabad. JI launched a protest “march” towards the federal capital on Sunday, departing Karachi by train.The party has been demanding that the government abolish the petroleum levy, with Rehman warning that the protest could change its objective to oust the government if it failed to accept the demand. The march reached Sukkur on Sunday night by Rehman Baba Express, from where it was to head towards Multan via Shalimar Express. However, there was a four-hour delay in the train’s expected arrival at Sukkur on Monday, which the JI chief questioned at a press conference there. “Does this delay have anything to do with our train march? Shalimar Express, which is not only a popular train but has been privatised, is delayed by four hours on Monday ,” he said. “If this delay in its Shalimar Express is a usual delay, then the federal government should explain the performance of Pakistan Railways,” Rehman said. He added that if a delay of four to five hours and its impact on the entire railway system were normal, then the government’s performance was for everyone to see. Shalimar Express finally departed the Rohri station at around 5:45pm, with the JI chief set to address supporters upon reaching Multan. From there, the party plans to march by road towards Islamabad. In a video clip shared by JI, wherein Rehman could be seen travelling in a train, the party chief said the “first phase” of the march had concluded, and the second had begun with the journey to Multan. He said that marches had also departed from Balochistan and Bab-i-Khyber.
