Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday announced nationwide protests on July 10 against the petroleum levy, rising fuel prices, inflation, and what he termed the government's ineffective economic policies.
Protest Details and Demands
Speaking at a news conference in Lahore, Rehman said the demonstrations would continue until the government provided meaningful relief to the public. He berated the government's overall handling of the energy sector, claiming that although the official price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was fixed at Rs241 per kilogramme, it was being sold in the market for around Rs500/kg.
He added that prolonged gas load-shedding and high LPG prices were an added burden on consumers. "Affordable gas is vital for economic growth," he stressed.
Criticism of Fuel Pricing
Referring to the government's recent reduction in petrol prices, the JI leader called the Rs1.97-per-litre relief "inadequate". He also described the Rs118-per-litre in compounded taxes and levies on petrol collected by the authorities as "extortion" and claimed that the government collected around Rs8.5 trillion, which was used to meet tax collection targets instead of improving energy supply infrastructure.
Rehman urged the public to stand up against what he described as an unjust system, asserting that the retail price of petrol should not exceed Rs225 per litre. He made a special appeal to young people to participate in Friday's nationwide protests.
Challenge to Climate Levy
The JI chief also challenged the collection of the climate support levy on petroleum products and asked where, according to him, approximately Rs60 billion collected under the levy had been spent. He highlighted that the petroleum levy disproportionately affected low-income and middle-class citizens, including labourers, students, and motorcycle users, while influential landowners continued to dodge taxation.
He demanded the immediate abolition of the levy and reiterated that petrol prices should not exceed Rs225 per litre.
