JI chief rejects petroleum relief package, demands abolition of levy

Lahore: Rejecting the Prime Minister's recent petroleum relief package as inadequate, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman reiterated on Monday his call for the total elimination of the petroleum levy. PM Shehbaz announced a "relief scheme" for motorbike, car, and 800cc vehicle owners on Sunday, aiming to "alleviate the burden" of escalating global oil prices.

JI has been holding regular sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi, and numerous other cities since August 16 to protest the levy. Last week, Rehman threatened the government that the ongoing protest would advance to Islamabad on September 20 if the levy was not repealed. As the protest enters its 30th day, Rehman, speaking at a press conference in Lahore, dismissed the fuel relief scheme as insufficient, stating that it falls short of addressing the issue.

He warned the government of obstructing their upcoming march in Islamabad, promising that "authorities would bear full responsibility for any repercussions if undemocratic methods were employed to halt the movement." Rehman claimed that a three percent reduction in interest rates could generate approximately Rs1.7 trillion, sufficient to fully eliminate the petroleum levy, which currently collects over Rs1.56 trillion annually from the public.

He also accused the government of shielding banking sector profits under the guise of inflation control. Rehman accused the government of relying on the State Bank of Pakistan's autonomy and urged it to abolish "usury." He accused certain oil refineries of exploiting pricing differences by merging imported and locally refined oil prices, resulting in unlawful profits at the public's expense.

Rehman called for the immediate cessation of this practice and upgrades to refinery capacities, cuts in official privileges, and termination of unfair IPP contracts. He confirmed that government-JI talks would resume on September 15, the 30th day of the protest. So far, two rounds of talks have taken place, with the third scheduled for the following day.