JI Emir gives govt final chance to abolish petroleum levy

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Tuesday announced that the JI would continue its nationwide sit-ins and protest camps against the petroleum levy, while giving the government a final opportunity to abolish the levy and provide relief to the public.

Addressing a crowded press conference in Multan, Rehman said JI had temporarily postponed its planned march towards Islamabad following a request from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his assurance that he would meet the JI leadership after returning to Pakistan to find a solution to the levy issue.

He said the Prime Minister had contacted him by phone from New York and requested the postponement of the Islamabad long march. Rehman subsequently consulted the JI senior leadership before announcing the decision.

He said he would meet the prime minister after his return to Pakistan and made it clear that the Islamabad march would begin from Multan if the petroleum levy was not abolished.

Rehman described the government’s proposed Rs25 billion petrol relief as insufficient, saying it was far less than the Rs1,567 billion collected through the petroleum levy. He urged the government to cut its expenditures and provide meaningful relief to the people.

He warned that JI workers would remain mobilised during the pause and said the government would be responsible if it attempted to dismantle the ongoing sit-ins and protest camps.

The JI emir said the party had launched a peaceful campaign against the levy, initially blocking roads at 510 locations before starting sit-ins on August 16. He said the protests were currently continuing at 42 locations across the country.

He said JI had also held a nationwide strike and participated in several rounds of negotiations with the government. The JI’s negotiating committee presented proposals for abolishing the levy, but the government’s continued delays prompted JI to launch its train march.

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said the train march consisted of two phases and PM Shehbaz Sharif contacted him after the second phase reached Multan. He reiterated that JI’s sole demand was the abolition of the petroleum levy.

The consultation meeting before the announcement was attended by acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Vice Emirs Liaqat Baloch, Dr Osama Razi, Professor Ibrahim and Mian Muhammad Aslam, as well as Deputy Secretaries Azhar Iqbal Hassan, Waqas Anjum Jafri, Rusl Khan Babar, Mumtaz Sehtho and Syed Firasat Shah.

Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, Central Punjab Emir Javed Kasuri, Central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emir Abdul Wasi, Northern KP Emir Inayatullah Khan, Hazara Emir Abdul Razzaq Abbasi, Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, social media head Salman Sheikh and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi also attended the meeting.

Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman also expressed support for PTI protests and condemned the government crackdown against its workers. He urged the government to consider a proposal by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and resolve the issue through dialogue with PTI.

JI Punjab Southern Emir Syed Zeeshan Akhtar and Multan Emir Sohaib Ammar Siddiqui were also present at the press conference.