Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has warned that it will launch a full-scale march towards Islamabad in mid-November if the federal government fails to abolish the petroleum levy and provide relief to the public amid rising fuel prices.
The party has been demanding the removal of petroleum levies for more than two months, including Rs114 per litre on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. Fuel prices have surged amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since March.
A day earlier, JI said Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Rana Sanaullah had contacted the party’s Vice Emir, Liaquat Baloch. According to the party, it was agreed that JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman would meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within the next two days.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Rehman said his party had demonstrated patience and responsibility in view of the international situation but believed the time had come to adopt a more forceful approach.
He warned that if the prime minister failed to provide relief, abolish the petroleum levy or take meaningful action, JI would mobilise supporters for a major march on Islamabad in mid-November.
Rehman urged the government to address the party’s demands in advance and introduce measures to ease the financial burden on the people.
He said JI remained prepared to march towards the capital, adding that federal ministers had contacted the party several times. However, he maintained that negotiations would not produce results without concrete measures to address the issue.
The JI chief acknowledged that the government had indicated it was working on the matter and would discuss possible steps during the proposed meeting with the prime minister. Nevertheless, he reiterated that the party would not abandon its demand to abolish the levy.
Rehman argued that the petroleum levy was separate from the underlying price of petrol and questioned what further discussions government officials could hold when the party had already presented its demands.
He clarified that JI had never refused a meeting with the government but stressed that the talks should lead to practical outcomes rather than merely serve as a formal event.
The JI leader also criticised a relief package announced by the government in September, claiming it followed protests organised by his party in 42 cities.
The government introduced the scheme to reduce the impact of rising international oil prices on owners of motorcycles, three-wheelers and vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
Under the programme, owners of two- and three-wheeled vehicles were offered relief of Rs100 per litre on a monthly quota of 20 litres. Owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc were eligible for the same per-litre relief on a monthly quota of 30 litres.
Rehman argued that the assistance was insufficient, saying it excluded several categories of motorcyclists, car owners and public transport users. He added that the package did not adequately address rising grocery and other commodity prices driven by higher diesel costs.
He also criticised major political parties for what he described as their failure to adequately highlight the public’s economic concerns, claiming JI had been at the forefront of raising the issue.
Last week, JI announced that it was willing to hold talks with the government over the petroleum levy, following renewed high-level contacts between the two sides. However, the party maintained its call for nationwide protests.
The party had initially announced sit-ins in provincial capitals on August 16 and later called for a nationwide strike on September 3. When the strike date arrived, the government and JI agreed to establish committees to recommend measures for reducing the levies.
On September 20, JI launched a march towards Islamabad, warning that continued government inaction could turn the protest into a movement to remove the government.
Two days later, the party postponed the long march after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested the move and reportedly assured JI of a meeting to discuss its demands. At the time, the party’s convoy had reached Multan.
However, in a statement issued last week, JI alleged that the government had made no further contact regarding the proposed meeting between Rehman and the prime minister, renewing uncertainty over negotiations.
