{
  "id": 6788536,
  "title": "'Decisive phase': JI chief announces Islamabad march on Sept 20 against petroleum levy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/decisive-phase-ji-chief-announces-islamabad-march-on-sept-20-against",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T19:08:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2029169/decisive-phase-ji-chief-announces-islamabad-march-on-sept-20-against-petroleum-levy"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman declared on Friday that the party would march to Islamabad on September 20 to protest against the petroleum levy. He warned the government that the demonstration would enter its \"decisive phase\" in Islamabad if the levy was not withdrawn before the march. In Gujranwala, Rehman addressed a gathering and called on the \"Form-47 rulers\" to recognize the growing strength of the party and provide immediate relief to the people. He urged the government to abolish the levy or face a movement to bring down the administration. JI Central Punjab Emir Javed Qasuri, Gujranwala Emir Mazhar Randhawa, and other leaders also attended the event. Rehman announced that he would speak at a women's public gathering in Islamabad the following day, and the ongoing sit-ins would be expanded. The party discussed future plans at a meeting chaired by Rehman in Lahore. Rehman criticized the dominance of bureaucracy, feudal landlords, and influential families, expressing concern for the working class and children subjected to labor and denied education. He also rebuked the provincial government for violence and exploitation against women, alleging that approximately 6,500 cases had been registered in Punjab, with few convictions. Rehman challenged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to present her financial records after her comment about traveling to London at her own expense. He alleged that the Sharif and Zardari families were among those responsible for exploiting the poor. Rehman criticized the government for collecting Rs1,567 billion in petroleum levy taxes, questioning why citizens were burdened with additional taxes while basic necessities remained inaccessible. He criticized successive governments since the 1990s for benefiting independent power producers and questioned the budget allocations following the 18th Amendment. Rehman called for an end to interest-based financial practices and urged an end to the petroleum levy, claiming that a partial reduction could save the national exchequer billions of rupees.",
  "summary": "GUJRANWALA: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday announced that the party would march towards Islamabad on September 20 against the petroleum levy , warning the government that the protest would enter its “decisive phase” on the streets of the federal capital if the levy was not withdrawn before the march. Addressing a public gathering in Gujranwala, Rehman said caravans from…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "'Decisive phase': JI chief announces Islamabad march on Sept 20 against petroleum levy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/decisive-phase-ji-chief-announces-islamabad-march-on-sept-20-against-6789853",
        "published": "2026-09-11T19:08:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}