PM-Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman Meeting: JI Sticks to Levy Abolition Demand
JI Emir speaking at a crowded press conference after meeting the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday
ISLAMABAD, October 27: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sought another seven to 10 days to decide on the petroleum levy issue following a meeting with Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, who reiterated that the JI would go ahead with its Islamabad march in mid-November if the government failed to provide meaningful relief to the public.
Speaking at a crowded press conference after meeting the prime minister at the Prime Minister’s House on Tuesday, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said JI had agreed to give the government more time for negotiations but would not compromise on its demand for the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.
He said the government had agreed to expand its previously announced relief package to benefit more people. However, differences remained over the levy, with the government favouring its gradual withdrawal while JI insisted on its complete elimination.
“The demand is clear: the petroleum levy must be abolished, and people must receive genuine relief in petroleum prices,” Rehman said, rejecting proposals to reduce the levy by Rs20, Rs25 or Rs30 per litre as insufficient.
He warned that JI would intensify its protest movement if the government failed to deliver. The party’s Islamabad march, he stressed, had not been abandoned, and preparations would continue alongside negotiations.
“We will neither postpone the Islamabad march nor end our protest campaign,” he said, announcing that the march would take place in mid-November.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani and Ahad Cheema. Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman was accompanied by JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, KP North Emir Inayatullah Khan and Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa.
Rehman said JI had presented detailed proposals and economic data to the government, arguing that the public should not be forced to bear the cost of economic mismanagement and policies pursued under International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes.
He said the government was collecting around Rs150 billion monthly through the petroleum levy, while its relief package was initially announced at Rs26 billion. Even if the package was valued at Rs32 billion, he added, the amount remained far below the revenue collected from consumers.
According to the JI emir, nearly 70 per cent of the levy’s burden fell on low-income and middle-class households, costing them more than Rs100 billion a month. He said the existing relief measures did not adequately address their difficulties.
Rehman also called for a review of petroleum pricing mechanisms and local refinery margins, arguing that consumers should benefit from favourable movements in international oil prices rather than face additional burdens.
He cited previous protests that, according to him, had forced the government to reconsider levy increases and provide Rs32 per litre relief on diesel during earlier sit-ins.
The JI emir said his party was negotiating with the government because it had the authority to make and implement decisions, but it would continue opposing policies that hurt the public. He urged other political parties to support the demand for relief, warning that Pakistan could not afford further political and economic instability.
He also highlighted challenges facing farmers, including declining cotton production and an emerging wheat crisis, as well as disparities between official and market LPG prices and gas shortages.
Commenting on Islamabad’s local government elections, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman welcomed their announcement but called for amendments to the relevant law to prevent horse-trading and ensure genuine democratic representation.
He said JI would accelerate public meetings, corner meetings and its nationwide mobilisation campaign during the additional time given to the government.
The party’s central demand, he concluded, remained the complete abolition of the petroleum levy and a broader relief package that could meaningfully ease the burden of inflation on ordinary citizens.
JI Vice Emirs Liaqat Baloch, Mian Muha Aslam, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, KP North Emir Inayatullah Khan and Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa also attended the presser.