No Levy Relief, No Respite for Govt: Liaqat Baloch

LAHORE, Oct 29: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Acting Emir Liaqat Baloch has warned that the JI will launch a long march from Multan towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government fails to provide relief to the public on the petroleum levy within the 10-day deadline sought by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Calling the levy an unjust burden on the poor, Baloch said the government should reduce its own privileges and perks instead of squeezing the public.

“Petroleum levy is unacceptable as an extortion-like burden on the people. The rulers should cut their own privileges rather than exploit the nation,” he said while chairing a consultative meeting at Mansoorah on Thursday to review preparations for the planned long march.

Acting JI Secretary General Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Deputy Secretary Syed Waqas Jafri, Central Punjab Emir Javed Kasuri, special assistant to the JI Emir Umair Idrees, and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi attended the meeting.

Baloch said the party's position was clear: it wanted the complete abolition of the petroleum levy, which it considers an unjust burden on the public.

He said JI had waged a sustained campaign against the levy, blocking roads at 510 locations across the country, holding sit-ins in various cities for around six weeks, organising public rallies in dozens of cities and launching a train march from Karachi towards Islamabad.

The JI had temporarily suspended the train march after the prime minister promised substantial relief on the levy and requested that the protest be halted for a few days, Baloch said.

He added that Shehbaz Sharif had sought another 10 days during a meeting last Tuesday to decide on the matter. JI had granted the government this time to give it a final opportunity to fulfil its commitment, he said.

However, Baloch warned that the JI would launch the long march with full force if the government failed to deliver relief within the stipulated period.

The meeting also decided to hold public rallies in Quetta, Mirpur Khas, Bahawalpur, Mansehra and Sargodha before the long march begins in mid-November.

Separate committees were formed to oversee transport, medical assistance, security, logistics, sound systems and media arrangements for the march.

Additional committees were also established under the supervision of JI's provincial chiefs for central, northern and southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to assist the central committee headed by Naib Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has already formed the central committee, led by Aslam, to finalise arrangements for the march. The provincial chiefs are also members of the committee.