JI Chief Demands Abolition of Fuel Taxes, Warns of Expanded Protests

LAHORE: Sep 07: Jamat-e-Islami Pakistan Chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman issued a stern warning to the incumbent government, declaring that the JI will escalate its nationwide protests into a wheel-jam strike, a march toward Islamabad, and a train march if the petroleum levy is not abolished.

Addressing a press conference outside the Chief Minister House on the twenty-third day of the sit-in protest, the JI chief said the administration was inflicting severe economic hardship on the general public through exorbitant fuel taxes and widespread administrative failures.

JI Punjab Central Emir Javed Kasuri and JI Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were also present on occasion.

Rehman said that the current administration has extracted four trillion rupees from ordinary citizens under the guise of the petroleum levy, describing it as an unbearable burden on the poor. He further criticized the Federal Board of Revenue for pervasive corruption and systemic inefficiency, highlighting that trillions of rupees in taxes remain uncollected from existing taxpayers while the elite continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles. Rehman emphasized that while the general populace struggles to afford basic necessities, rulers, feudal lords, and bureaucratic elites consume state resources, occupying sprawling residences with extensive government amenities.

The JI Emir urged the government to send a serious, professional team for upcoming negotiations in Islamabad, warning that stalling tactics would only provoke further public anger and expand the reach of the ongoing sit-ins, which are currently active across twenty to thirty locations nationwide. Addressing complaints about blocked roads caused by the demonstrations, he retorted that the political leadership itself had shut down all avenues of economic relief for citizens while misusing public funds for personal luxury.

Shifting focus to provincial administration, the JI chief criticized the educational and health infrastructure in Punjab, pointing out high failure rates in public schools and the privatization of educational institutions. He also turned his attention to Sindh, saying that decades of rule by the ruling party there had entrenched corruption and degraded public services. Rehman asserted that Jamat-e-Islami remains the only political force prioritizing the day-to-day economic struggles of common citizens and steering political discourse back to public welfare.

To resolve the economic crisis, Rehman proposed actionable financial measures, advising the government to lower interest rates and halt hefty payments to Independent Power Producers. He argued that reducing the benchmark interest rate by three percent and curbing payments to power companies would easily offset the revenue generated by the petroleum levy, granting immediate relief to the economy and consumers alike.

In his concluding remarks, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman commemorated Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Day, honoring the historical efforts of religious scholars and Jamat-e-Islami in upholding the finality of prophethood. He also paid rich tribute to the Pakistan Air Force and armed forces on Air Force Day for their role in national defense, while calling on state institutions to refrain from political interference to preserve their dignity and maintain the confidence of the nation.