Hafiz Naeem announces protests in 150 cities, warns of long march to Islamabad over petroleum levy

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday announced protests and sit-ins in 150 cities across Pakistan against the petroleum levy, warning that the party was preparing a long march to Islamabad if the government failed to provide relief to the public.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Hafiz Naeem said the party was launching the third phase of its campaign against inflation and would continue its protest movement until the government addressed the rising cost of living and reduced petroleum prices.

He accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership of pursuing what he called “economic terrorism” through heavy taxes on petroleum products, high electricity bills and persistent gas shortages.

The JI chief said the government was collecting between Rs135 and Rs140 per litre of petrol in taxes and levies, describing the amount as “extortion” and a “goon tax”.

He demanded the withdrawal of an additional Rs80 per litre petroleum levy, a Rs5 climate support levy and Rs21 in customs duty and other taxes, arguing that their removal would substantially reduce fuel prices.

Hafiz Naeem said the government’s existing petrol subsidy scheme was insufficient, particularly for low-income households and the middle class. He pointed out that around 25 million people relied on motorcycles for transportation and argued that they were among those most affected by high fuel prices.

He claimed that abolishing the additional levies could reduce petrol prices by Rs100 to Rs125 per litre. He further suggested that prices could fall below Rs200 per litre if the levies were withdrawn and international oil prices declined.

The JI chief said lower fuel prices would ease inflationary pressure and support economic activity. He maintained that the party would continue its campaign until the government provided meaningful relief.

Long march preparations underway

Speaking about the proposed long march, Hafiz Naeem said discussions were underway regarding a possible meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He said government ministers had contacted JI Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch on Thursday to discuss the matter.

However, he stressed that a meeting would serve little purpose unless it resulted in concrete relief for the public.

“We have no particular desire for a meeting that does not provide relief to the people,” he said, adding that the party was preparing for a long march and would announce further details in due course.

He warned that stopping the march would not be easy once the party decided to move towards Islamabad.

JI had launched a “super long march” from Karachi on September 21 to protest against the petroleum levy but suspended it two days later following initial contact from the prime minister. At the time, Hafiz Naeem said the party had postponed the march for a few days as a goodwill gesture in response to the prime minister’s outreach.

The latest announcement signals a renewed push by the party to pressure the government over fuel prices and other economic issues.

Criticism of electricity and gas prices

Hafiz Naeem also criticised high electricity bills, arguing that consumers were being charged capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs) for electricity that was not generated.

He alleged that the government had entered into unfair agreements with power producers and said the public was bearing the cost through excessive electricity bills.

According to the JI chief, taxes and capacity charges accounted for a substantial portion of electricity bills, adding to the burden on households already struggling with inflation. He demanded immediate steps to reduce these charges and provide relief to consumers.

He also highlighted gas shortages, saying households were being forced to rely on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), whose prices had risen sharply. He described the situation as particularly difficult for families facing simultaneous increases in food, fuel and utility costs.

Criticism of agricultural and provincial policies

The JI chief criticised the Punjab government over wheat shortages, farmers’ difficulties and rising flour prices. He alleged that agricultural policies had discouraged farmers from growing wheat, increasing the country’s reliance on imports.

He also accused the Sindh government of failing to address land-grabbing and law-and-order problems, particularly in Karachi, where he said robbery and other crimes remained a serious concern.

Questioning the performance of the provincial government in education, Hafiz Naeem claimed that Sindh had around 41,000 schools but challenged Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to identify a school in the province where he would be willing to enrol a child from his own family.

The JI chief’s remarks came as the party renewed its nationwide campaign against inflation, with petroleum prices, electricity costs, gas shortages and governance among its main areas of criticism.