PM-Hafiz Naeem Meeting: JI Gives More Time to Deliver Relief, Islamabad March Remains on the Cards

JI Emir reiterates the party will not compromise on its demand for complete abolition of the petroleum levy, rejecting partial cuts as inadequate.

Hamid Khan Wazir

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Tuesday said the party had agreed to give the government another seven to 10 days to deliver meaningful relief to the public, but warned that its scheduled Islamabad march in mid-November would go ahead if the government failed to meet its demands, particularly the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.

‎ He said the government was collecting around Rs150 billion a month through the petroleum levy, arguing that the public should not be made to bear the cost of economic mismanagement and policies pursued under International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes

Speaking at a press conference after meeting the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, the JI Emir said that the premier sought another seven to 10 days to decide on the petroleum levy issue. Hafiz Naeem said that JI had agreed to give the government more time for negotiations, but he made it clear that the party would not compromise on its demand for the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.

Hafiz Naeem said that the two sides held detailed discussions on rising living costs, petrol prices, the relief package and the proposed abolition of the petroleum levy. He said the meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere, with members of the JI delegation and federal ministers also in attendance.

He said that the government had agreed to expand its previously announced relief package to benefit more people. However, the JI Emir stated that differences remained over the levy, with the government favouring its gradual withdrawal while JI insisted on its complete elimination. “The Prime Minister has also proposed phasing out the petroleum levy,” he said, adding that his party has demanded that the levy should be abolished completely.

“The demand is clear: the petroleum levy must be abolished, and people must receive genuine relief in petroleum prices,” Rehman said, rejecting proposals to reduce the levy by Rs 20, Rs 25 or Rs 30 per litre as insufficient. He warned that JI would intensify its protest movement if the government failed to deliver. The party’s Islamabad march, he stressed, had not been abandoned, and preparations would continue alongside negotiations.

“We will neither postpone the Islamabad march nor end our protest campaign,” he said, announcing that the march would take place in mid-November. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani and Ahad Cheema. Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman was accompanied by JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, KP North Emir Inayatullah Khan and Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa.

Rehman, flanked by JI Vice Emirs Liaqat Baloch and Mian Muhammad Aslam, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, KP North Emir Inayatullah Khan and Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, said JI had presented detailed proposals and economic data to the government. He said the government was collecting around Rs150 billion monthly through the petroleum levy, while its relief package was initially announced at Rs26 billion. Even if the package was valued at Rs 32 billion, he added, the amount remained far below the revenue collected from consumers.

According to the JI Emir, nearly 70 per cent of the levy’s burden fell on low-income and middle-class households, costing them more than Rs100 billion a month. He said the existing relief measures did not adequately address their difficulties. Rehman also called for a review of petroleum pricing mechanisms and local refinery margins, arguing that consumers should benefit from favourable movements in international oil prices rather than face additional burdens.

He cited previous protests that, according to him, had forced the government to reconsider levy increases and provide Rs32 per litre relief on diesel during earlier sit-ins. The JI emir said his party was negotiating with the government because it had the authority to make and implement decisions, but it would continue opposing policies that hurt the public. He urged other political parties to support the demand for relief, warning that Pakistan could not afford further political and economic instability.

He also highlighted challenges facing farmers, including declining cotton production and an emerging wheat crisis, as well as disparities between official and market LPG prices and gas shortages. Commenting on Islamabad’s local government elections, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman welcomed their announcement but called for amendments to the relevant law to prevent horse-trading and ensure genuine democratic representation. He said JI would accelerate public meetings, corner meetings and its nationwide mobilisation campaign during the additional time given to the government.

The party’s central demand, he concluded, remained the complete abolition of the petroleum levy and a broader relief package that could meaningfully ease the burden of inflation on ordinary citizens.