10 Days to Decide: Can PM Sharif Avert JI’s Islamabad March?
News Desk
Islamabad: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has warned the federal government that it will launch a long march toward Islamabad in mid-November if its demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy is not met, intensifying pressure on the government to provide relief to inflation-hit citizens.
The announcement followed a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and a JI delegation led by party chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on Tuesday. Speaking after the meeting, the JI chief said the government had sought an additional seven to 10 days to address the party’s demand.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the party had already waited for two months and was willing to give the government a few more days. However, he made it clear that Jamaat-e-Islami would not agree to any further postponement of its planned long march.
He called on the government to present a clear roadmap for abolishing the petroleum levy before the march, adding that preparations for the protest had been completed.
JI Questions Govt’s Relief Measures
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman criticized the government’s relief package, arguing that it had failed to provide meaningful benefits to the public despite official claims of expanding relief measures.
He reiterated that abolishing the petroleum levy remained the party’s primary demand, arguing that ordinary citizens should not be forced to bear the consequences of the government’s economic policies.
The JI chief also highlighted the impact of rising petroleum prices on the oil sector, claiming that higher prices had increased the profit margins of oil refineries.
Criticizing successive governments, he said that administrations routinely promised to end Pakistan’s reliance on borrowing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but continued to adopt policies that placed additional financial burdens on the public.
He maintained that the government should take responsibility for its economic challenges rather than shifting the burden onto citizens through levies and rising prices.
How Protest Plan Unfolded
Jamaat-e-Islami’s latest warning follows months of negotiations and protest announcements over the petroleum levy and the rising cost of living.
On August 16, the party announced sit-ins in provincial capitals against the levy and called for a nationwide strike on September 3. In early September, JI and the federal government agreed to form committees to develop proposals for reducing the levy.
The party subsequently announced a protest march toward Islamabad on September 20 but postponed it on September 22 after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured its leadership that he would meet them to discuss their demands.
However, Jamaat-e-Islami later alleged that the government had failed to contact the party to arrange the proposed meeting, raising concerns about progress in the negotiations.
Tuesday’s meeting brought the two sides together to discuss the outstanding issue. The JI delegation included Deputy Chief Liaquat Baloch, Deputy Secretary General Syed Farasat Shah, and Islamabad chapter chief Nasrullah Randhawa.
Govt Given Another Deadline
Following the meeting, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said Jamaat-e-Islami would give the government another seven to 10 days to respond to its demand. He warned that the party would proceed with its planned long march in mid-November if no satisfactory progress was made.
The renewed deadline has placed the focus on whether the government will present a concrete plan to abolish the petroleum levy or take measures to ease its burden on consumers.
For Jamaat-e-Islami, the coming days will test the government’s willingness to turn its assurances into action. For the government, the challenge will be to respond to the party’s demands while navigating the country’s economic pressures.
With JI maintaining that preparations for the march are complete, the possibility of renewed protests in Islamabad will depend on the outcome of the next round of government engagement.
