Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says his party may march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government fails to abolish the petroleum levy and provide meaningful relief to the public.
LAHORE, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned that his party could march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government fails to abolish the petroleum levy and provide meaningful relief to the public.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s Mansoorah headquarters in Lahore on Monday, October 26, Hafiz Naeem said JI would continue its campaign against the levy until the government accepted its demands.
He said government ministers had again contacted the party’s negotiating committee, but JI remained firm on its call for the complete withdrawal of the levy. The party has argued that fuel-related taxes are adding to the financial pressure on households already struggling with inflation and rising living costs.
Hafiz Naeem acknowledged that the government had provided some relief in petroleum prices following the party’s protests but said the measures did not meet public expectations. He also called for a reduction in the profit margins of oil refineries and marketing companies so consumers could benefit from lower fuel costs.
The JI chief further demanded a reduction in the policy rate and criticised the government’s broader economic policies. He said the party would continue its protest campaign unless concrete steps were taken to ease the burden on ordinary citizens.
During the press conference, Hafiz Naeem also condemned the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and called for the decision to be withdrawn, describing it as a violation of human rights.
JI has been campaigning against the petroleum levy through demonstrations, sit-ins and negotiations with the government. The party previously suspended a march towards Islamabad after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested time for further discussions.
The latest warning signals renewed pressure on the government as negotiations continue. A final date for the proposed mid-November march had not been announced at the time of reporting.
The next steps will depend on whether talks produce an agreement on the party’s demand for the levy’s abolition and additional relief for consumers.
