ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced to stage a big protest in Islamabad on Friday (May 15) against massive and unbearable increase in petroleum products prices.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said he would personally lead the protest and announce the party’s future course of action on the occasion.
“If the government fails to reduce petroleum prices and abolish the petroleum levy entirely, the party could resort to wheel-jam protests and nationwide shutter-down strikes,” he added. He particularly appealed to the youth to participate actively in the Islamabad protest.
The JI leader said the actual ex-refinery price of petrol should be around Rs270 per litre, while consumers were being charged approximately Rs417 per litre due to heavy levies and taxes. He said the government was using petroleum levies to meet IMF-linked revenue targets at the expense of the public.
Rehman also criticised the taxation system, saying the government had collected trillions of rupees through taxes imposed on electricity over the past three years, while salaried individuals alone paid more than Rs500 billion in taxes last year. “Pakistan’s middle class, labourers, and students collectively own around 25 million motorcycles, and even if 10 million motorcyclists consume one litre of petrol daily, they would effectively be paying between Rs500 billion to Rs600 billion in taxes to the government,” he said.
He questioned how much tax had been collected from feudal landlords, adding the ruling elite was living lavishly while burdening ordinary citizens with inflation. “The ruling elite is extracting taxes from the public to fulfil revenue targets while continuing extravagant expenditures.”
Criticizing the government’s economic policies, Rehman said that poor settlements were being demolished in Islamabad, while illegal constructions for the elite, including the “One Constitution Avenue” twin towers project, were being protected. “Such actions are raising serious questions not only about the rulers but also about the country’s justice system,” he added. Targeting the ruling coalition, he termed the leadership of PML-N and PPP incompetent, “involved in corruption and protecting the interests of Independent Power Producers (IPPs).”
The JI chief said the government was paying nearly Rs2 trillion annually to IPPs even for electricity not produced, while simultaneously charging citizens high electricity prices. He also came harsh on the government for its plans to end protected category of electricity consumers using up to 200 units per month under the IMF pressure.
He further criticised the increase in LNG and LPG prices which have been doubled and questioned why cheaper gas was not being imported from Iran despite existing agreements.
Rehman said JI’s previous protests had compelled the government to renegotiate agreements with several IPPs on softer terms, but progress on remaining agreements had stalled. Calling on citizens to unite, he said JI believed in peaceful resistance and would continue raising its voice against economic oppression and injustice.
He further said that after the completion of JI membership drive targets, the party would launch a countrywide protest movement against inflation, excessive taxation, and economic injustice.
