KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that his party will launch a protest march from Karachi on Sunday against the petroleum levy, intensifying its campaign for the withdrawal of the additional fuel charge.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Saturday, Hafiz Naeem said the government should remove the petroleum levy rather than introduce relief schemes that, in his view, failed to address the wider financial pressure on consumers.
He said rising taxes and fuel prices were adding to the difficulties faced by ordinary households, with many struggling to meet basic food expenses.
The JI leader claimed that customs duty, the climate support levy and petroleum levy collectively added around Rs106-107 per litre to fuel prices. He added that further costs were included through the margins and charges of dealers, transporters, refineries and oil marketing companies.
Hafiz Naeem also questioned the government’s monetary policy, arguing that a reduction in the policy rate could generate savings comparable to the revenue being collected through the petroleum levy.
He rejected the argument that the government was constrained by its commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and its reliance on banks, while also raising questions about the autonomy of the State Bank of Pakistan.
Criticising the government’s fuel relief package, the JI chief said its eligibility conditions would leave a large number of motorcycle users outside the scheme. Those who qualified, he added, would receive relief equivalent to only around Rs500 a week.
Hafiz Naeem said the government had once again approached the JI for negotiations, but the party would only consider talks if the government team presented a clear proposal for abolishing the petroleum levy.
He said the JI had already held several rounds of negotiations with the government and would not suspend its planned march on the basis of verbal commitments alone.
The JI chief also criticised the government’s policies concerning food prices, sugar mills, independent power producers (IPPs) and capacity payments, calling for measures aimed at providing wider economic relief to the public.
