The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Tuesday set Sept. 10 (Thursday) as its deadline for the withdrawal of the petroleum levy, warning failure to implement this demand can trigger a long march on Islamabad.
Addressing the party’s sit-in in Karachi, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman noted the demonstration had entered its 24th day and would continue alongside negotiations with the government. However, he warned, the party would give a “final call” on Sept. 10 if its demands remain unmet.
Rehman said the party is currently holding sit-ins in 32 cities and would continue its campaign until all demands are met. During his speech, he lashed out at the government over the latest increase to petrol prices under the daily price fixation, stressing that fluctuations caused by global prices were acceptable, but the government’s “extortion tax” is not. He criticized the government for not lowering oil prices when they dropped in the international market while raising prices whenever they rose.
The JI chief said the government was collecting Rs. 85/liter in the form of petroleum levy, with total taxes touching Rs. 130/liter. He emphasized the burden was particularly high on ordinary citizens, including students and motorcycle riders. He warned the JI would not tolerate any further delays in its negotiations with the government, stressing the levy and tax must come to an end.
“Otherwise, I will give the final call on Sept. 10 for a march on Islamabad. The march would be launched with an aim of uprooting this cruel regime,” he stressed, while urging other opposition parties to join the JI’s movement.
Abolish levy
Separately, the Sindh Assembly unanimously adopted an opposition resolution demanding the abolishment of the petroleum levy. Moved by JI lawmaker Muhammad Farooq, the resolution noted the actual price of petrol, including customs duty, was Rs. 238.70/liter, but the government was charging Rs. 80/liter as petroleum levy, Rs. 5/liter as climate levy, and Rs. 25.3/liter as margin of oil marketing companies.
“Through these additional levies, not only petrol and diesel have become more expensive, but inflation has also increased proportionately. This has placed 95% of the people of Pakistan under the burden of inflation, which amounts to severe oppression of the public,” it said. “Therefore, through this resolution, this House demands that the federal government immediately end the government levy and other duties and provide immediate relief to the public,” it added.