JI gives govt 10 days to abolish petroleum levy, threatens to resume Islamabad march in mid-Nov

ISLAMABAD:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday gave the government 10 days to abolish the petroleum levy and provide meaningful relief to the inflation-hit public, warning that his party would resume its long march towards Islamabad in mid-November if its demands were not met.

Rehman issued the ultimatum after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, where the JI delegation pressed the government to scrap the levy and address the rising cost of living. “The government has promised that relief will be provided. The question is not whether relief will be given, but how and when,” he said after the meeting.

He said the prime minister had assured the party that technical committees would be given eight to 10 days to work out proposals for providing relief. He maintained that the talks had not ended in failure, as both sides had agreed on the need to ease the burden on the public.

However, Rehman made it clear that JI would continue its protest campaign alongside negotiations and would not accept further delays without concrete action. “The government should do whatever it has to do by mid-November; otherwise, the matter will be taken to the streets again,” he warned.

The JI chief said his party had presented the public’s concerns over inflation and rising petroleum prices during the meeting. He reiterated its demand for the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, describing it as an unjust tax imposed to generate revenue.

According to Rehman, the government had argued that abolishing the levy would leave a shortfall in the national exchequer and sought more time to work out a solution. He said the government wanted to reduce the levy gradually.

Asked about a proposal to cut the levy by Rs25 to Rs30 per litre, Rehman said the government had put forward various proposals, but JI remained firm on its demand for the levy’s complete abolition.

Also Read: JI launches third phase of protest campaign against petroleum levy

He claimed that the party’s campaign had already secured a reduction of Rs32 per litre in diesel prices and said the government had now agreed to expand the scope of relief.

Rehman said JI had conveyed a message across the country that public grievances, particularly over inflation and the rising cost of living, could provide the basis for a nationwide uprising.

The JI chief also called on the government to hold local government elections in Islamabad, reiterating that his party would continue to press for action on public issues while awaiting the promised relief.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, alongside the JI negotiating team which included vice chief Liaquat Baloch, deputy secretary general Syed Farasat Shah and Islamabad chapter chief Nasrullah Randhawa.

A day earlier, Rehman had warned that his party would march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy and provide relief to the public.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, he said JI would continue its campaign against the levy until the government accepted its demands. He acknowledged that the government had provided some relief in petroleum prices following the party’s protests but maintained that the measures were insufficient to call off the march.

The JI chief also condemned the imposition of an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, describing it as a violation of human rights, and demanded its withdrawal.

In September, Rehman had agreed to the government’s request to postpone a planned long march from Karachi over the same demands.

Joint JI-govt committee to be formed to expand scope of petrol relief scheme: Ahsan Iqbal

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stated on Tuesday that a joint committee comprising members of JI and representatives of the government would be formed to expand the scope of the petrol relief scheme.

In a press conference in Islamabad, Iqbal stated that the government was aware of how an increase in fuel prices impacted ordinary people, adding that the premier remained acutely aware of this and wanted to work to protect the “vulnerable sections” of the population from the fuel hike.

Iqbal stated that both PM Shehbaz and Rehman agreed to form a committee that would consist of three members from JI and three representatives from the government.

“The government representatives will include Deputy PM Dar, Rana Sanaullah and myself.”

Iqbal further informed that the government had told the JI delegation about its “challenges” and had also heard the party’s proposals, noting that both parties agreed that their goals of providing relief to people were similar, with the government insisting on the need to adopt a durable and “sustainable” path for this purpose.

Iqbal also said the committee would examine how the current relief scheme could be expanded so that more “deserving people” could avail it, adding that the committee would also look at how the petroleum levy could be abolished in the next budget through a phased process.

The minister added that the government would provide relief for the people within its “fiscal limitations”, further adding that according to the latest figures, the relief scheme started for petroleum was being availed by 1.25 crore people across the country.

The minister underlined that an increase in oil prices did not come as a consequence of government policy but resulted directly from a global crisis which was outside the control of the government.

“To resolve this crisis, Pakistan has played its diplomatic role and negotiated to defuse tensions in the US-Iran conflict, which were praised by the whole world, and as you know, Field Marshal Asim Munir has engaged in diplomacy again in the meeting in Tehran, which is aimed at reducing regional tensions and reducing oil prices,” he stated.

Iqbal noted that as long as the crisis persisted, the government also had limitations, and while the government could take popular short-term decisions, this would have negative economic consequences after a few months.

He added: “As you know, the previous government of Imran Khan reduced fuel prices for cheap popularity, and this almost led the country towards bankruptcy.”

“It is the right of every political party to protest, but given geopolitical developments, it is also our responsibility to play our role in securing internal political and economic stability,” he stated.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, also speaking at the press conference, noted that 1.27 crore people were availing the Rs100 per litre petrol relief scheme, further noting that this number was expected to reach two crore in the coming days.

The minister added: “The government is attempting to provide relief to the common and poor man as much as possible, and we appreciate JI’s efforts for this purpose, but we need to make this relief targeted so that it reaches the most deserving people”.

Sanaullah urged all political parties to unite behind Pakistan’s military and political leadership and support efforts to end the US-Iran conflict and promote unity within the Muslim world.

He further expressed hope that JI would support the government’s peace efforts and work with it to improve public relief measures, adding that the government had carefully considered the party’s suggestions and was striving to expand resources for public welfare.

Background of JI protest on fuel prices

JI’s campaign against the petroleum levy intensified in August, when the party organised demonstrations and sit-ins across the country against rising fuel prices, inflation and what it described as an additional tax burden on consumers. On August 16, JI workers staged sit-ins outside governors’ houses in the provincial capitals, demanding the withdrawal of the levy and a reduction in petrol prices.

The party subsequently expanded its protests to other cities, including Karachi, where it established additional protest camps across Sindh. JI maintained that the government should abolish the levy rather than offer limited reductions in fuel prices.

On September 3, the government and JI agreed to establish technical committees to examine proposals for reducing the petroleum levy and fuel prices. During the first round of negotiations on September 7, the party submitted six proposals to the government, while insisting that its protests would continue until meaningful relief was provided.

However, the negotiations failed to resolve the dispute. On September 12, JI chief announced a long march towards Islamabad for September 20, warning that the party would intensify its campaign if the government did not abolish the levy.

The march began on September 20, with participants travelling from Karachi by train. The caravan moved through Sukkur towards Multan, where Naeem addressed supporters. The march was subsequently suspended after PM Shehbaz telephoned the JI chief and requested that the party postpone its protest to allow further negotiations.

Read More: JI announces September 20 long march on Islamabad over petroleum levy

JI agreed to give the government an opportunity for talks but maintained that it had not abandoned its demand. The party’s position was that negotiations and protests could continue simultaneously, with any agreement required to address the complete abolition of the levy.