Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has urged the government to lower fuel prices, eliminate the petroleum levy, and reduce state expenditures. He warned that if these demands are not met, the party will continue its protest march. To intensify pressure, JI has initiated a nationwide campaign to collect 20 million signatures supporting their cause.
Addressing the economic hardships faced by middle-class families, Hafiz Naeem highlighted the struggle to manage rising electricity, gas, and petrol bills alongside essential expenses such as children’s education. He emphasized that increases in petrol prices have a cascading effect, raising prices across the entire economy.
Notably, JI is awaiting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan to resume talks on consumer relief. Hafiz Naeem stated that if their concerns remain unaddressed after these discussions, the party will have no alternative but to proceed with their march, which had been postponed earlier this week following initial talks with the prime minister.
The signature campaign aims to demonstrate widespread public support by gathering 20 million endorsements, which will be presented to authorities and carry weight internationally. The campaign demands include scrapping the petroleum levy, lowering petrol prices, revisiting agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) to find savings, reducing flour costs, and curbing government spending.
Despite facing criticism and fluctuations in momentum, Hafiz Naeem insisted the party has not retreated from its objectives. He pointed to recent rallies in Lahore as proof of continued activism and announced plans for further public gatherings in cities such as Buner, Charsadda, Sialkot, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, and Karachi. Party workers in Karak, Abbottabad, and Mansehra are also organizing rallies.
In a significant development, Hafiz Naeem stressed that lowering petrol prices is impossible without addressing the petroleum levy, which he identified as a substantial burden on consumers. He detailed that consumers pay Rs135 in taxes and levies per litre of petrol, including Rs80 for the petroleum levy and Rs5 for the climate support levy, with the government having broad discretion over these charges.
He challenged the government’s claim that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program restricts their options, revealing that JI’s review of IMF documents found no specific mandate to maintain the petroleum levy at its current level. Instead, the IMF requires Pakistan to meet overall fiscal targets, and alternative approaches such as cutting development spending and government expenses have been mentioned. Hafiz Naeem questioned why these alternatives are not being pursued more openly.
Calling for transparency, he urged the government to disclose details of ongoing negotiations with IMF representatives visiting Pakistan, especially regarding any commitments that might impact the country’s economic sovereignty. Additionally, he advocated for a reduction in the policy interest rate to alleviate pressure on consumers and businesses.
Hafiz Naeem also criticized what he termed excessive government spending during a period of rising living costs. He cited the purchase of an aircraft valued at Rs11 billion as an example of misplaced priorities. He proposed that senior officials, including bureaucrats and commissioners, should switch to smaller official vehicles with 1,300cc engines instead of larger cars. Furthermore, he questioned the practice of allocating development funds through parliamentarians, suggesting politically motivated spending should be curtailed while ensuring necessary major development projects receive adequate funding. He also called for the federal government to abolish departments whose responsibilities have been devolved to provinces under the 18th Amendment.
Regarding the government’s fuel relief package, Hafiz Naeem described it as too limited in scope. He noted that while around 1.8 million people had registered for the program, the figure might have increased to approximately 2.5 million. However, he argued the package only benefits a small segment of vehicle owners, primarily motorcycles and vehicles with engines up to 800cc, whereas Pakistan has tens of millions of motorcycles and millions of other vehicles on the road.
He emphasized that relief packages are short-term fixes, and fundamental price reductions are necessary. Addressing concerns that abolishing the petroleum levy would also benefit owners of expensive vehicles, he proposed a tiered pricing system where vehicles above 2,000cc pay higher petrol prices. Such a system could promote the use of smaller vehicles, reduce fuel consumption, lower import bills, and generate additional government revenue.
Hafiz Naeem also criticized opposition parties for their silence on the petroleum levy being included in the federal budget. He urged political parties, which receive millions of votes, to prioritize issues affecting ordinary citizens over internal leadership disputes. He alleged that both government and opposition parties are constrained by their financial backers and influential business interests, reluctant to challenge powerful sectors such as petroleum, flour, sugar, land, and banking due to ties with party funding and political patronage.
This, he argued, has resulted in Pakistani politics being dominated by landlords, wealthy businessmen, and political dynasties. He condemned the overemphasis on political rhetoric, personality-driven politics, and political cults, noting that critical issues like employment, education, and youth concerns are neglected in the national political dialogue.
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