Jamaat-e-Islami demands abolition of petroleum levy

Karachi: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has announced a march to Islamabad in mid-November against petroleum levy and said that his party is fully preparing for the protest.

Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that Jamaat-e-Islami will continue negotiations with the government; however, if there is no progress on the demands of abolishing the petroleum levy and providing relief to the people, a protest will be held.

He said that the issue of the petroleum levy was raised in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif; however, according to him, the prime minister could not provide a satisfactory justification for its implementation. Hafiz Naeem questioned why the burden of government administrative failures and financial irregularities was being put on the people.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer also alleged corruption of Rs1,300 billion in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and said that the government should take alternative measures to collect revenue. His claim is not independently verified by the available information.

According to Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, the financial pressure on the middle class is increasing due to the petroleum levy, while the relief provided by the government is not enough to meet the needs of the people. He criticised the government’s economic policies and said that the country needs a permanent and long-term strategy.

He added that Jamaat-e-Islami had supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s long march in the past, but every political party has its own problems. According to him, changes in administrative units should not be considered an alternative solution to the failure of the system.

Talking about the judicial system, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that the public’s trust in the justice system has been affected. He was of the view that it would be difficult to improve the system without fundamental reforms in the bureaucracy and administrative structure.

After Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman’s announcement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami agreed to form a joint committee on the issue of petroleum levy and public relief. According to a report on October 28, Jamaat-e-Islami expressed its willingness to postpone the march in the context of negotiations; however, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman clarified that the protest could be resumed if there was no effective progress on the demands.

The main difference between the government and Jamaat-e-Islami remains in the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and the method of phased relief. The results of the upcoming talks will determine the agenda of both parties on this issue.