Thousands Join JI’s Nationwide Anti-Inflation Protests

3گھنٹے پہلے

Thousands Join JI’s Nationwide Anti-Inflation Protests

LAHORE, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Quetta: July 10: Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) workers, traders, youth and citizens staged demonstrations, rallies and sit-ins across the country on Friday in response to an appeal by JI Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, demanding immediate relief from soaring inflation and sharp reductions in the prices of petroleum products, electricity, gas and essential commodities.
The protests were held in major cities and towns across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi region, with participants calling on the government to abolish the petroleum levy, reduce fuel prices and ease the financial burden on the public.
Addressing the main protest gathering in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said inflation had made life unbearable for ordinary Pakistanis and urged the government to provide immediate relief instead of imposing additional taxes on the people. He reiterated Jamaat-e-Islami's demand for fixing the price of petrol at Rs225 per litre, arguing that the government should pass on the benefit of lower international crude oil prices to consumers rather than increasing revenue through petroleum levy and other taxes.
JI leaders who addressed demonstrations in different parts of the country said rising fuel prices had triggered increases in electricity tariffs, gas charges, transport fares and the prices of daily-use items, placing unprecedented pressure on households and businesses. They maintained that the government's economic policies had intensified inflation while failing to protect the purchasing power of ordinary citizens.
Speakers at the rallies urged the government to immediately abolish the petroleum levy, substantially reduce the prices of petroleum products, electricity and natural gas, withdraw what they termed anti-people taxes and introduce sustainable measures to provide lasting relief to inflation-hit families. They also demanded that petrol be fixed at Rs225 per litre and maintained at that level for at least three years to help stabilise household expenses and support economic activity.
Large rallies and motorcycle processions were organised in several cities, while demonstrations in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also highlighted rising transport fares and the tax burden in the former tribal districts. Protesters carried placards and banners, chanting slogans against inflation and calling for an immediate reduction in the cost of living.
The nationwide demonstrations followed Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announcement that Jamaat-e-Islami would intensify its public campaign against inflation if the government failed to provide relief.