Politics
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said that the government must abolish the petroleum levy, warning that the Islamabad march planned for mid-November
Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has said that the government must abolish the petroleum levy, warning that the Islamabad march planned for mid-November will not be postponed under any circumstances and that decisions will ultimately be made on the streets. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad after meeting the prime minister, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that Jamaat-e-Islami had presented its demands to the prime minister. He added that the government had agreed to expand the scope of relief measures, but the prime minister had requested another seven to 10 days.
It is worth noting that Jamaat-e-Islami began sit-ins against the petroleum levy on August 16 this year. The protests initially started in the provincial capitals of all four provinces and later spread to other districts across the country. On September 3, the party called a nationwide strike, followed by a long march towards Islamabad on September 20. On September 22, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested the party to postpone the march, promising a meeting after returning from an overseas visit. Jamaat-e-Islami subsequently temporarily postponed the long march.
Addressing the press conference, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that Jamaat-e-Islami wanted the immediate abolition of the levy imposed on petroleum products. However, the government was proposing to phase out the levy gradually while providing relief to the public. He said the prime minister had assured the party that additional relief would be provided, meaning the meeting could not be described as entirely fruitless.
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said the government was collecting Rs150 billion every month through the petroleum levy, while the public was struggling with rising inflation. Jamaat-e-Islami's position, he said, was clear: the petroleum levy must be abolished and immediate relief must be provided to the people. He stressed that negotiations with the government would continue, but preparations for the Islamabad march would proceed simultaneously. If the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy, Jamaat-e-Islami would hold its long march in mid-November under all circumstances, and the matter would ultimately be decided on the streets.
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami had previously held prolonged sit-ins and would take every possible measure to secure relief for the public. He said that political parties often declare before coming to power that they will not join International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes, but practical measures are necessary to free the public from the burden of inflation.
Responding to criticism of Jamaat-e-Islami for negotiating with the government, he said it was necessary to engage with those who had the authority to make decisions in order to secure relief for the people. Differences over the government's constitutional and political legitimacy were a separate matter, he added, noting that the prime minister was the one authorised to sign off on decisions. He also appealed to other political parties to support Jamaat-e-Islami's campaign for relief from inflation.
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said the party considered peaceful protest its responsibility and wanted issues to be resolved peacefully, as Pakistan could not afford further deterioration under the prevailing circumstances. Referring to other economic challenges, the Jamaat-e-Islami emir highlighted declining cotton production, difficulties faced by farmers, rising liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices and gas shortages. He said the government had failed to address these issues effectively.
Following a significant increase in fuel prices amid conflicts in the Middle East that have continued since March last year, Jamaat-e-Islami has been demanding that the federal government abolish the petroleum levy for more than two months. In early September, the party called a nationwide strike. At the time, the federal government and Jamaat-e-Islami agreed to form committees to propose measures for reducing the levy.
On August 16, Jamaat-e-Islami announced sit-ins against the petroleum levy in all provincial capitals. It subsequently called a nationwide strike for September 3. On September 20, the party launched a protest march towards Islamabad, warning that if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy, the protest could turn into a movement to remove the government.
On September 22, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman announced that his party had postponed the long march at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. At the time, the party's convoy had reached Multan. According to Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, the prime minister had assured the party that a meeting would be held to discuss its demands. However, in a statement issued last week, Jamaat-e-Islami alleged that the government had not contacted the party again regarding the proposed meeting.
