‘Patience has run out’: JI warns of shutdown, Islamabad march if petroleum levy not abolished

LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday once again warned of a nationwide shutdown, road blockades and a march on Islamabad if the government failed to withdraw the petroleum levy.

Addressing a press conference at the JI sit-in outside the Punjab chief minister’s House in Lahore, Rehman said the protests had entered their 10th day and were gaining momentum across the country.

“The people’s patience has run out,” he said, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the petroleum levy and what he described as unjustified taxes. He said the ongoing sit-ins would continue until the government provided meaningful relief to the public.

Rehman said the JI would announce the date for a nationwide strike on 13th Rabi-ul-Awwal, while protests would continue during Eid Miladun Nabi celebrations. He said the party had mobilised people across all four provinces and would expand the campaign if its demands were ignored.

The JI chief said the government and those running the system had failed to address the country’s economic problems, adding that successive decisions had shifted the burden of the state’s failures onto ordinary citizens.

“Governments in other countries have increased fuel prices only marginally even amid war conditions, but our rulers have turned the war into an opportunity to make money,” he said.

The JI chief demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and other taxes on fuel, saying commuters, students, labourers and motorcyclists were struggling to cope with rising costs. He also called for the price of roti to be reduced to Rs10.

Rehman also raised questions over alleged irregularities in coal imported for independent power producers (IPPs), calling for a forensic audit of the entire process. He said the Power Division had itself acknowledged irregularities in coal-related transactions and demanded an independent investigation to determine who had benefited from the alleged malpractice.

The JI leader said consumers were being forced to pay for expensive fuel, electricity that was not generated and questionable IPP arrangements. He added that the public was ultimately bearing the cost of government and elite extravagance.

Referring to the JI’s previous campaign against IPPs, Rehman said public pressure had contributed to a reduction of around Rs10 per unit in electricity prices. He warned that the JI would intensify its protests if the government failed to respond to its demands.

“Shutdowns, road blockades and a march on Islamabad are among our options,” he said, adding that the government should not test the party’s resolve.

Rehman also criticised the political system, saying governments lacking genuine public support remained weak. Referring to the ruling coalition as a “Form-47 product”, he said it had failed to resolve the problems confronting ordinary Pakistanis.

He added that the PPP had damaged Sindh and criticised what he described as a family monopoly in Punjab. He also questioned the failure to hold local government elections for years.

Criticising the Punjab government, Rehman said its much-publicised initiatives could not conceal its failure to address fundamental issues.

Rehman stressed that the JI was protesting not for personal or political interests but for the rights of the people. He invited the government’s negotiating committee to visit the protest camp and explain when the petroleum levy would be withdrawn and how relief would be provided to the public.

“We will not go to Islamabad merely to receive a briefing from any committee,” he said.

Speaking about a recent incident involving a security official at Islamabad’s Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology (SUSIT), the JI emir said the matter should be dealt with strictly according to law. He called for a merit-based investigation and action against anyone found responsible, regardless of their position or influence.

JI Acting Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Janjua, Deputy Secretary Russel Khan Babar, JI Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, JI Central Punjab Emir Javed Qasoori and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Tarabi were also present at the press conference.