‘Super Long March’ to Islamabad: Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman Draws Line for Govt

LAHORE: Sep 17: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has announced that the JI will begin a “super long march” towards Islamabad on September 20 if the government fails to accept its demands, particularly the complete withdrawal of the petroleum levy.

Addressing a public gathering at the JI sit-in in Lahore on Thursday, Rehman said caravans would head towards the federal capital from Karachi, Quetta, Chitral, Kalam, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and other parts of the country. He said a caravan travelling by train from Karachi would pass through Multan and Lahore before reaching Islamabad.

JI Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, Punjab central Emir Javed Qasuri also addressed the gathering. Acting secretary-general Nazir Ahmad Janjua, Vice Emir Dr Usama Razi, Deputy Secretaries Azhar Iqbal Hassan, Waqas Anjum Jafri, Sheikh Usman Farooq, JI Foreign Affairs Director Asif Luqman Qazi and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were present on occasion.

The announcement comes after 33 days of JI sit-ins and protests against the petroleum levy in several cities. The JI has already announced September 20 as the date for its Islamabad march.

Rehman said the prolonged campaign had created awareness among people and generated hope that their economic problems could be addressed through political struggle. He said the movement was not aimed at serving the interests of any individual or political party but at raising issues faced by the wider population.

He said the JI negotiating team had held four rounds of talks with the government but the authorities continued to cite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as a reason for retaining the petroleum levy. “The government has to abolish the petroleum levy,” he said, warning that failure to address public demands would intensify the movement.

The JI chief rejected the government’s Rs100-per-litre relief package as inadequate, saying the party wanted the levy removed rather than temporary relief. He said the government was placing a disproportionate tax burden on ordinary citizens while failing to effectively tax wealthy landowners and powerful business groups.

Pakistan’s petrol price was raised by Rs6.88 per litre on September 17 to Rs391.22, while the government said the increase was linked to higher international oil prices. The government continues to collect taxes and duties on petroleum products.

The JI leader also criticised government spending and questioned the purchase and use of an aircraft by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. He called for transparency over public expenditure and said the authorities should provide details of the funding and expenses involved.

Turning to Punjab’s education, health and agriculture sectors, he criticised inadequate public services and said teachers, doctors and health workers were protesting over their problems. He also questioned the government’s education and development priorities.

The JI emir reiterated the party’s demand for a reduction in the interest rate, saying the policy rate should initially be brought down to three per cent. He also referred to the party’s previous campaign over independent power producers (IPPs), saying that the resulting agreement had helped reduce electricity bills.

Rehman said the current campaign had now become a nationwide movement and urged opposition parties to join it. He said JI would continue its peaceful protests and would not withdraw the Islamabad march unless its demands were addressed.

He said caravans would move towards Islamabad from different directions, adding that the government would be responsible for any confrontation if it attempted to obstruct the march.

“Now the decision will be made on the streets of Islamabad,” he said.

He announced that JI would hold public meetings in Mardan and Peshawar on Friday, while caravans would begin moving across Lahore from Saturday. He said protests were also continuing in Gujrat, Mirpur and Chitral.