Dharna Day 24: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman issues Sept 10 deadline to withdraw petroleum levy, IPPs agreements

Jamaat-e-islami (JI) Pakistan Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has issued a September 10 deadline for the government to withdraw petroleum levy, otherwise, he said he will issue the final call for march to Islamabad.

The JI supreme leader was addressing the participants of the sit-in outside the Sindh Governor House, here on Tuesday -- the 24th day since the protest sit-in started.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the JI was currently holding sit-ins in 32 cities across the country and that the struggle would be taken to its logical conclusion.

Criticising the latest Rs13 per litre increase in petroleum prices, Hafiz Naeem said the government claimed global oil prices had risen, but did not reduce prices when international rates fell.

“The fluctuation in the global market is one thing, but there is no justification for extortion tax,” he said. He noted that the government first collected billions in the name of petroleum development levy and then “removed development and is now looting in the name of levy alone.”

He said Rs85 per litre levy and a total of Rs130 in taxes were being collected on every litre of petrol. “A student and a biker who is not even a taxpayer pays Rs700 daily and Rs23,000 monthly in extortion,” he said, adding that both a bike rider and a billionaire with a 2700cc vehicle paid the same tax.

Hafiz Naeem said the government had shown “arrogance” by increasing prices last night and accused PML-N, PPP and MQM of having agreed to the levy when they toppled the PTI government last year. “JI has established a public parliament,” he said, and urged opposition parties to join the struggle as the issue concerned 250 million people, not just JI.

He said a government committee had asked for three days to respond to JI’s proposals. “Let the rulers hear: you will have to end the levy and the tax,” he said.

He also announced a series of women’s protests, with the largest in Pakistan’s history to be held at Governor House on Tuesday at 3:30pm, followed by rallies in Gujranwala on September 11 and Islamabad on September 12.

Hafiz Naeem said families of Pakistanis held hostage by Somali pirates for five months were also present at the sit-in. He condemned the Sindh government and police for “violence” against the families and demanded the federal government secure their immediate release. “We have contacted the Foreign Office, Interior Ministry and institutions but there has been no contact yet,” he said.

He also condemned Israel’s attacks on Palestinians despite agreements and said the Pakistan government and armed forces had a responsibility to play their role. He further said India was “on our heads” and that national unity was needed.

He said that all the opposition parties should join them for the cause of the entire nation. He said he had already invited the PTI chief to visit the protest sit-in.