Warns that any attempt to suppress the peaceful protest could turn the movement into an anti-government campaign
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman was addressing the inaugural meeting of the party’s three-day congregation at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. Photo: X/file
LAHORE:
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Tuesday announced a nationwide blockade of major highways on August 7 as part of the party’s campaign against inflation, oil taxes and rising fuel prices, warning that any attempt by the government to stop the peaceful protest could push the movement towards an anti-government campaign.
Amid volatility in global oil prices amid renewed hostilities in the Middle East, the government on Friday decided to switch to a daily fuel price review. Daily pricing is based on a seven-day weekly average of international market prices to conform to international standards. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) will update petroleum product prices daily on its website to ensure transparency and allow the immediate impact of international price fluctuations to be passed on to consumers.
Addressing a press conference at the JI headquarters in Lahore’s Mansoorah, Rehman said the party would organize corner meetings, sit-ins and a nationwide mobilization campaign by August 7. He said people from all walks of life including traders, industrialists, lawyers, students, religious scholars and youth would participate in the protest.
He said major roads in all four provinces and district headquarters would be blocked on August 7, adding that the protest would remain peaceful and ambulances would be allowed to pass.
The JI chief criticized the rise in oil prices, saying the government was using the war as a pretext to raise fuel prices, even though the oil tax and other taxes were not related to the conflict. He argued that if the kerosene tax and other taxes were abolished, the price of petrol should not exceed Rs 250 per litre.
He alleged that the government had empowered OGRA to determine oil prices on a daily basis, despite the fact that the oil tax had no legal link with the regulator. According to him, the government collected about Rs 1.8 trillion annually through oil taxes, putting the burden on motorcyclists, laborers and the middle class.
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Rehman described the levy as “economic terrorism” and said the government was collecting taxes even from people outside the formal tax net through indirect taxation.
He said the JI was not opposed to the defense budget but protested against the privileges enjoyed by judges, senior military officers, bureaucrats, legislators and other senior officials. He argued that while ordinary citizens struggled with inflation, the ruling elite continued to enjoy state-funded perks.
The JI chief also criticized the Punjab government’s health and education policies, claiming that basic health units and government schools were being sold and renamed to mislead the public. He further claimed that poverty had increased in Punjab under the current administration.
Rehman called for transparency regarding agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and questioned why electricity cuts continued despite the country’s installed power generation capacity. He claimed that consumers were paying for electricity that was not being produced.
Expressing concern over the security situation in Balochistan, he said the government could not shirk responsibility by simply blaming foreign elements. If outside actors were involved, he added, it was the state’s responsibility to stop them. He said that the Balochistan issue required dialogue and consultations with all stakeholders and announced that JI would convene a major national conference to discuss a long-term solution.
He also called for resolving political issues in Azad Jammu and Kashmir through dialogue and constitutional means.
Responding to questions, Rehman said the JI would continue its campaign for public rights despite criticism. He warned that if the government tried to suppress the peaceful protest, the movement could turn into a campaign against the government.
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He also commented on various political developments and said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should take action on Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent statement, while also expressing his views on former political alliances, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI founder Imran Khan.
