Islamabad (HRNW)- Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has challenged the petroleum levy and what he described as excessive taxation and injustice in the energy sector by filing a petition in the Federal Constitutional Court.
Speaking to journalists outside the Constitutional Court alongside Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad Ameer Nasrullah Randhawa, Advocate Imran Shafiq, and Information Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Turabi, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman announced that the party would continue public protests alongside legal action. He said nationwide demonstrations will be held on May 22, while strikes across all four provinces are planned after Eid. He also warned that options including long marches and road blockades remain under consideration.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman termed the petroleum levy “economic oppression” on the public and claimed the government is collecting up to Rs117 per liter in levy on petrol, while the total burden including taxes reaches nearly Rs150 per liter.
He criticized the government for imposing additional financial pressure on citizens despite regional tensions and economic difficulties, while accusing the ruling elite of maintaining luxurious lifestyles instead of reducing expenditures as recommended by the IMF.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also criticized taxation policies, independent power producer (IPP) agreements, RLNG contracts, and additional taxes on electricity and fuel, saying ordinary citizens are being unfairly burdened.
Earlier, Jamaat-e-Islami filed a constitutional petition through Advocate Imran Shafiq challenging both the petroleum levy and the newly introduced “Climate Support Levy.”
According to the petition, the petroleum levy violates constitutional principles, parliamentary supremacy, provincial autonomy, and fundamental rights. The petition argues that the levy has effectively become a tax imposed through executive notifications and SROs instead of parliamentary approval.
The petition further claimed that the petroleum levy now represents one of the largest revenue sources for the federal government, with projected collections of approximately Rs1.47 trillion in fiscal year 2025-26 alone.
Jamaat-e-Islami also challenged the Climate Support Levy, arguing that the government introduced it without establishing a transparent climate fund, accountability mechanism, or parliamentary oversight regarding the use of collected funds.
The petition requested the Federal Constitutional Court to declare the petroleum levy unconstitutional, restore parliamentary oversight, prevent unlimited executive financial powers, and direct the government to provide details regarding the use of funds collected through the levy.
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