JI Announces Lahore Rally on Nov 29 Over Levy

Jamaat-i-Islami will hold a public gathering in Quetta on November 22 and the JI Lahore rally November 29 at Minar-i-Pakistan, as part of its campaign against the petroleum levy, rising prices and delays in local government elections.

Party emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced the plan at a press conference at the party’s Mansoorah headquarters in Lahore on Wednesday. He said similar gatherings would follow in Peshawar and Karachi.

The party has been demanding for more than two months that the Centre abolish the petroleum levy. It says fuel prices have climbed sharply because of conflicts in the Middle East since March. On Wednesday, Rehman said the party had decided to widen the campaign to cover rising prices of petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the problems faced by farmers and the failure to hold local government polls.

Prices and the levy

Rehman said LPG prices had crossed Rs500 per kg, while electricity and gas tariffs remained very high. He also alleged that oil refineries were making large profits from petroleum products.

The government has cut petrol and diesel prices six times in a row over the past week as global oil prices declined. But Rehman said the relief had yet to reach the public, because goods transporters had not changed their charges and LPG continued to sell well above the official rate after supply from Iran was disrupted.

Under a one-month arrangement announced on Nov 2, oil refineries are to contribute to the petroleum levy by bearing a monthly cumulative impact of Rs15 billion, according to the government. Dawn reported that the arrangement allows a Rs14.71 reduction in the petrol price at the consumer end.

Rehman said the government was collecting about Rs150 billion a month through the petroleum levy while giving relief worth only Rs26 billion to Rs30 billion. He said nine to 10 rounds of talks had been held with the government, and a joint technical team had prepared a draft agreement for the government to review.

He made it clear that the party had not withdrawn its demand for the levy to be abolished. “We will decide our future course of action after the final agreement,” he said.

The party has proposed shifting the levy to larger vehicles, and asked for small-vehicle relief to be extended to 1,300cc cars, diesel farm machinery and public transport.

Farmers and local polls

Rehman criticised the Punjab government over what he called a worsening agricultural situation, saying small farmers were bearing the brunt of government policies. A 50kg bag of DAP fertiliser had crossed Rs17,000, he said, while urea was not readily available in the market.

Flour prices had reached Rs8,000 per 40kg, he said, while farmers had sold wheat for less than Rs3,500 per 40kg. The wheat price had since climbed to about Rs5,500 per 40kg. He said cotton cultivation had fallen by 60 per cent over the past decade, and farmers were not receiving a fair price for sugarcane.

On local government elections, Rehman said the party had approached the courts over the failure to hold polls and over changes to Punjab’s local government law. He called the existing Punjab Local Government Act anti-democratic and demanded amendments to ensure timely elections and effective local representation. In Islamabad, more than 3,500 candidates have filed nominations for the delayed local polls.

JI Lahore rally November 29: a campaign built over months

The party launched sit-ins against the petroleum levy on Aug 16 and a nationwide strike on Sep 3. In September it called off a planned long march towards Islamabad after the prime minister asked for negotiations.

Feature Pakistan has followed the talks between the party and the government, including the government’s assurance of relief on the levy and the earlier rounds of negotiations. The latest announcement shows the party keeping up street pressure while the talks continue, and comes as fuel prices have fallen on lower global oil prices.

When and where will the rallies be held?

Jamaat-i-Islami will hold a public gathering in Quetta on Nov 22 and a major rally at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore on Nov 29, with gatherings in Peshawar and Karachi to follow.

Frequently asked questions

What is the party demanding?

It wants the petroleum levy abolished, relief on fuel and LPG prices, fair prices for farmers and timely local government elections.

How much is the government collecting through the levy?

The party chief said the government collects about Rs150 billion a month through the petroleum levy, while giving relief worth only Rs26 billion to Rs30 billion.

What has the government offered so far?

Under an arrangement announced on Nov 2, refineries bear a monthly impact of Rs15 billion, allowing a Rs14.71 cut in the petrol price. A joint technical team has prepared a draft agreement for review.

Has the party called off its protest?

No. Its leader said the demand for abolishing the levy stands, and the party will decide its next step after the final agreement.