Lahore (HRNW)- Jamaat-e-Islami has criticized the government over the recent increase in petroleum prices and the heavy petroleum levy, announcing that its protest campaign will continue until its demands are addressed.
Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Ameer Liaquat Baloch said the government should reduce unnecessary expenditures and provide relief to the public instead of increasing their financial burden. Addressing a press conference at Charing Cross, Mall Road, he said fluctuations in global oil prices were a factor, but the heavy petroleum levy was the main source of pressure on consumers.
According to Liaquat Baloch, the government and Jamaat-e-Islami held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting in Islamabad, during which the party presented proposals for reducing the petroleum levy and government expenditures. He said the government committee requested two to three days to consider the proposals, with the next round of negotiations scheduled for September 10 in Islamabad.
Baloch said Jamaat-e-Islami rejected the government’s request to postpone its sit-in while negotiations continue. He warned that the protest would be called off only if the petroleum levy is abolished; otherwise, it would be expanded in phases, including a train march, long march and wheel-jam protest.
He also proposed measures to reduce government spending and provide relief to consumers, including greater use of local refineries, reducing unnecessary federal expenditures, ending free electricity and transferring certain social projects to the provinces. He said these measures could generate significant savings for the national exchequer.
Liaquat Baloch further criticized the government’s handling of inflation and tax collection, urging authorities to focus on the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its protest if the government failed to accept its demands.
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