Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman warned on Monday 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. JI Islamabad march petroleum levy plans were announced at a press conference at Mansoorah, where Naeem also demanded the withdrawal of the emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Naeem condemned the imposition of an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, describing it as a violation of human rights. He said his party would continue its campaign against the petroleum levy until the government accepted its demands. He acknowledged that the government had provided some relief in petroleum prices after the party’s protests, but said the measures were insufficient.
The JI chief said government ministers had again contacted the party’s negotiating committee, but the party remained firm on its demand for the complete abolition of the levy. He added that he would make an important announcement on the evening of his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif if progress was made towards providing relief to the public.
JI Islamabad march petroleum levy demands in full
Naeem’s criticism went beyond fuel prices. He said the tax burden on ordinary citizens was increasing while the profits of certain business groups continued to rise. He called for a reduction in the profit margins of oil refineries and oil marketing companies, so that consumers could benefit from lower fuel costs. He also demanded a reduction in the policy rate and measures to eliminate interest-based economic practices.
The policy rate demand lands on a sensitive day. The State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee met on Monday, with its decision expected in the evening. A cut in the rate would lower borrowing costs, while a rise would add to the pressures Naeem cited. Either way, the JI chief has tied his party’s economic message to a decision that affects every borrower and business in the country.
Turning to the courts, Naeem said millions of cases were pending and alleged that the 26th Constitutional Amendment had weakened the judiciary. He maintained that extrajudicial killings could not resolve the country’s systemic problems, and criticised the government for failing to formulate effective policies to provide relief to ordinary citizens.
A campaign that began in August
The latest threat is not a new campaign. It is the next step in a dispute that has run since August, when Jamaat-e-Islami 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 then expanded its protests to other cities, including Karachi, where it established additional protest camps across Sindh. Its position throughout has been 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, while insisting that its protests would continue until meaningful relief was provided. The negotiations failed to resolve the dispute. On September 12, Naeem announced a long march towards Islamabad for September 20.
That 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 Prime Minister Shehbaz telephoned the JI chief and requested that the party postpone its protest to allow further negotiations. JI agreed to give the government an opportunity for talks, but maintained that it had not abandoned its demand.
Monday’s mid-November deadline therefore carries a clear message. The party gave talks a chance in September, and it is now setting a date for a return to the streets if the levy stays. Whether the government moves before that date will decide if November brings a march or another round of negotiations. Readers can follow the earlier stage of this dispute in our report on the JI chief’s October march warning over petrol taxes.
When does JI plan to march on Islamabad?
Jamaat-e-Islami plans to march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the government fails to abolish the petroleum levy.
