JI vows to hold long march over petroleum levy ‘come what may’

Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JIP) leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has threatened to lead a mass movement in Islamabad on September 20 if the government does not abolish the petroleum levy. Addressing a sit-in on Murree Road, Rehman stated that the JI does not support violence and will reach Islamabad peacefully and democratically. The JI chief criticized the government for increasing petroleum prices while engaging in negotiations and demanded an immediate reduction in the levy and an end to its collection, which amounts to Rs1,567 billion annually.

Rehman also called for an end to interest-based financial practices and questioned the use of government resources for private purposes, such as the recent visit of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to London. He urged the government to adopt measures that could save billions of rupees for the national exchequer and criticized the Punjab government for selling public schools and basic health centers.

Rehman warned that caravans from across the country will converge on Islamabad on September 20, and that this public outcry cannot be suppressed.