Summary JI chief Hafiz Naeem warns of a mass march to Islamabad unless petroleum levies are withdrawn, criticizing government spending and economic policies.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has accused the government of deceiving the nation over petroleum product prices, saying additional amounts are being collected from consumers in the name of petroleum levy.
Addressing a public gathering in Buner, Hafiz Naeem said the prime minister’s relief package was insufficient and demanded that the government withdraw the levy imposed on petroleum products. He warned that if the levy was not withdrawn, hundreds of thousands of people would head towards Islamabad. He said Jamaat-e-Islami was prepared for a prolonged sit-in and continued struggle if the government failed to meet its demand.
Hafiz Naeem said rulers were placing an additional burden on poor people by invoking the International Monetary Fund (IMF), while failing to reduce their own extravagant spending. He said the IMF had not asked the government to collect a levy from the public. He added that Jamaat-e-Islami believed in the political process and negotiations and had already presented its position during several rounds of talks with the government.
He said the deadline given to the government was expiring and demanded that petroleum levy be abolished regardless of whether the prime minister agreed to meet him. Otherwise, he warned, people would take to Islamabad and Jamaat-e-Islami was ready for a prolonged sit-in.
Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami’s struggle was not for any political leader or family but for the rights of 250 million people. He said public issues would now hold political parties accountable and anyone seeking to engage in politics would have to become a voice for the people.
The JI emir alleged that influential groups, including sugar, flour, petroleum and land mafias, had significant influence in the country and claimed that such elements had remained involved with governments during different periods. He said the public had now begun to understand what he described as an alleged nexus between major political parties and mafias.
He said the government was paying billions of rupees to refineries while simultaneously placing an additional burden on consumers. He questioned the purpose of collecting Rs80 petroleum levy and Rs5 climate support levy on every litre of petrol. According to him, despite collecting billions of rupees, sufficient measures had not been taken to improve refineries or protect the environment.
Hafiz Naeem also claimed that Rs1,300 billion in corruption allegedly takes place annually in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), saying the burden created by weaknesses in the tax collection system was being shifted onto the public. He said rulers were not reducing their own privileges and expenditures.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami would ally with the people rather than any political party and would continue its struggle against the existing system.
