JI warns of countrywide strike if recent petrol price hike not withdrawn

Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned the government that the party could call for a nationwide strike if recent petrol and diesel price hikes are not reversed immediately. At a press conference during the JI's sit-in at Punjab Chief Minister's House, Rehman stated that the public is already bearing high taxes on every litre of fuel and can no longer sustain the escalating cost of living.

He urged the government to lower fuel prices, eliminate the petroleum levy, and reduce petrol prices to Rs225 per litre. Rehman also declared that women and lawyers would join the ongoing protests, emphasizing that JI is fighting for the rights of the people and remains committed to their cause. The recent petrol and diesel price increase has further infuriated the public, Rehman added, as the government collects money through fuel levies and heavy taxes on electricity and gas bills.

He further criticized widespread corruption within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), attributing it to the country's economic woes. Rehman highlighted the issue of independent power producers (IPPs) and criticized successive governments for signing expensive agreements in the name of ending load-shedding. The JI chief mentioned that the party's previous protests led to the government reviewing some arrangements, with five IPPs being shut down, saving the national exchequer Rs3.36 trillion.

He demanded similar action on remaining IPP agreements. Rehman also criticized the governments in Punjab and Sindh for education, health, and agriculture-related issues, mentioning that thousands of schools in Punjab have been outsourced, and the education system in Sindh is deteriorating. The JI chief criticized the political system, saying that the PML-N, PPP, and MQM-P are benefiting from the current setup and called for empowered local governments with constitutional provisions respected.

Punjab hasn't held local government elections since 2015, while Balochistan hasn't conducted local elections yet. The JI sit-ins persist in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar, with the Lahore Bar Association supporting the Lahore protest and joining the sit-in, with Lahore Bar President Irfan Hayat Bajwa praising Hafiz Naeem for raising public awareness.