JI Threatens Long March If PM fails to Reduce Petroleum Proces

News Desk
LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has warned that his party will launch a nationwide long march if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif fails to grant substantial relief on the petroleum levy during their upcoming meeting.
Addressing party workers in Lahore on Thursday, the JI chief maintained an aggressive stance against the ruling administration’s fiscal policies, emphasizing that soaring fuel prices have crushed the salaried class and daily-wage earners.
Hafiz Naeem criticized the federal government for prioritizing International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictates over the welfare of ordinary citizens.
He stated that the continuous imposition of heavy taxes and petroleum levies has made survival nearly impossible for the working class.
The JI leadership has maintained that indirect taxation is disproportionately burdening the poor while elite privileges remain untouched, demanding an immediate rollback of the controversial levies.
The ultimatum holds significant political implications for the coalition government, which is already grappling with persistent economic instability and public resentment over high inflation and utility tariffs.
A renewed protest movement by Jamaat-e-Islami could galvanize broader opposition and trigger widespread street agitation across major urban centers, compounding the administration’s political and administrative challenges.
All eyes are now set on the scheduled dialogue between the prime minister and the religious-political party’s leadership.
Political analysts believe that the outcome of this meeting will dictate the future trajectory of street politics in the country, as the JI prepares its organizational machinery for potential protests should negotiations deadlock.