ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has announced that his party will continue its campaign for the removal of the petroleum levy and will head towards Islamabad from all directions on September 20.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Hafiz Naeem said the people had termed the petroleum levy an unfair tax and demanded that the government abolish it. He said Jamaat-e-Islami had presented several practical proposals to the government to address public concerns.
The JI chief also questioned the government over interest rates, saying that a 3 percent reduction could potentially save around Rs1,700 billion. He asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to explain why interest rates were not being reduced.
Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami would not withdraw from its demands under any circumstances. He claimed that sit-ins were being held in 36 cities and announced that supporters would enter Islamabad from different directions on September 20.
He warned that negotiations with the government could be called off if authorities continued to delay a response to the party’s demands. He reiterated that ending the petroleum levy was among Jamaat-e-Islami’s major demands.
Commenting on the political situation, Hafiz Naeem said his party would attend an All Parties Conference if invited by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He added that Jamaat-e-Islami considers PTI founder Imran Khan a political prisoner.
