Warns that any attempt to suppress the peaceful protest could turn the movement into an anti-government campaign
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman addressing the opening session of the party’s three-day congregation at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. Photo: X/file
LAHORE:
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader 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 government attempt to stop peaceful protest could push the movement into an anti-government campaign.
In a context of volatility in global oil prices due to the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East, the government decided on Friday to move to a daily fuel price review mechanism. The daily price is based on a seven-day weekly average of international market prices to align with international standards. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) will update petroleum product prices on its website daily 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 at Mansoorah in Lahore, Rehman said the party would hold corner meetings, sit-ins and a nationwide mobilization campaign before 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 main roads in the four provinces and district capitals would be blocked on August 7, adding that the protest would remain peaceful and ambulances would be allowed to pass.
Criticizing the increase in oil prices, the JI leader said the government was using the war as a pretext to increase fuel prices, even though oil levies and other taxes were not linked to the conflict. He said if the petroleum cess and other taxes were removed, the price of petrol should not exceed Rs250 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 connection with the regulator. He said the government collected about 1.8 trillion rupees annually through oil tax, putting the burden on motorcyclists, laborers and the middle class.
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Terming the levy as “economic terrorism”, Rehman said the government was collecting taxes even from people outside the formal tax network, through indirect taxation.
He said JI was not opposed to the defense budget but opposed the privileges enjoyed by judges, senior army officers, bureaucrats, legislators and other high-ranking officials. He claimed that while ordinary citizens struggled with inflation, the ruling elite continued to enjoy state-funded benefits.
The JI chief also criticized the Punjab government’s health and education policies, alleging that basic health units and government schools were being sold and renamed to mislead the public. He further claimed that poverty has increased in Punjab under the current administration.
Calling for transparency on agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), Rehman questioned why power load shedding continued despite the country’s installed power generation capacity. He alleged that consumers were paying for electricity that was not being produced.
Expressing concern over the security situation in Balochistan, he said the government cannot escape its responsibilities by simply blaming foreign elements. If external actors are involved, he added, it is the state’s responsibility to stop them. He said the Balochistan issue required dialogue and consultations with all stakeholders, announcing that the 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 evolve into a campaign against the government.
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He also commented on various political developments, saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should take action following Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent statement, while expressing his views on erstwhile political alliances, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PTI founder Imran Khan.
