Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman declared on Sunday that the party will organize simultaneous sit-ins across all four provinces on August 16. The protests are aimed at opposing the soaring fuel prices and the petroleum development levy, which he accused the government of using as a tool to mask corruption.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated that the fair price of petrol should be around Rs225 per litre. He criticized the government for not reducing fuel prices despite the conclusion of recent regional conflicts. He highlighted that global oil prices had escalated during the US-Iran tensions and the disruption of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil passage.
He further alleged that the government had amassed significant revenue through the petroleum development levy and claimed this mechanism was being exploited to conceal corrupt practices. Announcing the next phase of JI’s protest campaign, he detailed that sit-ins would simultaneously take place outside the Chief Minister House in Punjab and the Governor Houses in Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Defending the decision to hold protests on public roads, he encouraged citizens to participate and urged other political parties to support the movement. The JI chief also accused the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of corruption amounting to Rs1.3 trillion, alleging that taxes were being collected from individuals without any income. He noted that most political parties had remained silent on this issue.
Reflecting on the party’s demonstrations on August 7, he described them as historic, emphasizing that emergency services, including ambulances, were not hindered during the protests. Earlier, on Friday, JI conducted nationwide protests against inflation, rising fuel prices, the petroleum levy, and increased taxes. These included sit-ins and road blockades at hundreds of locations across the country, including provincial capitals and major cities.
The protests concluded with an announcement to intensify the campaign by moving into the next phase of demonstrations to increase pressure on the federal government. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated the objective was to compel authorities to offer relief to citizens burdened by the rising cost of living, especially the high petroleum prices.
In a significant development, the JI emir welcomed the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. He described it as a crucial step for the Muslim world and expressed hope that more countries, including Iran, would join the pact. This agreement establishes a collective security framework, considering an armed attack against any member as an attack against all three nations.
He called for the joint defence pact to evolve into a strong cooperative network among Islamic states. Responding to remarks by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi about the “collapse” of the current governance system, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said acknowledging failure requires a thorough review of the system. He added that the Constitution already allows for increasing administrative units and cautioned that any action outside constitutional provisions could lead to doubts and controversy.
Regarding political alliances, he mentioned that JI maintains contact with the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), an opposition alliance, but observed that previous alliances have not yielded positive outcomes. He recommended that political parties should continue protests independently while uniting on issues affecting the public.
