30 Days of Protests: JI Emir Demands Full Levy Abolition

Lahore, Sep 14: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman expressed hope that the government would not create obstacles for the upcoming march on Islamabad, warning that authorities would be held fully responsible for any consequences if undemocratic tactics were used to block the movement.

Addressing a press conference on the 30th day of the sit-in in Lahore, the JI chief rejected the Prime Minister’s recent petroleum relief package, labeling it insufficient and demanding the complete abolition of the petroleum levy. He stated that sit-ins were currently underway at forty locations across the country and announced that caravans from all over the country would reach Islamabad on September 20 as part of an expanding protest movement. Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Janjua, Emir Lahore Ziauddin Ansari, and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were also present at the occasion.

Rehman pointed out that reducing the interest rate by three percent would save the national treasury PKR 1,700 billion, an amount sufficient to completely eliminate the petroleum levy that currently extracts over PKR 1,567 billion annually from the public. He said the government was protecting the profits of the bank mafia under the guise of controlling inflation, arguing that lowering interest rates would not trigger price hikes. He added that the federal government could save hundreds of billions of rupees by implementing the proposals submitted by JI's committee.

Rejecting the government's excuse regarding the autonomy of the State Bank of Pakistan, the JI leader reminded that his party had consistently opposed central bank autonomy. However, he noted that the government still holds appointment powers and urged it to direct the bank to lower interest rates, reiterating JI’s demand for the complete elimination of usury.

The JI Emir highlighted exploitation by certain oil refineries that mix imported and locally refined oil prices to profit unlawfully at the public's expense. He called for an immediate halt to this practice, alongside upgrading refinery capacities, slashing official privileges, and terminating unfair IPP contracts.

He confirmed that government-JI talks would resume on Tuesday following a request from the administration for more time, noting that the ongoing sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi have completed thirty days with strong support from opposition parties and the general public.