Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded the abolition of petroleum levy and said that Jamaat-e-Islami is preparing for an Islamabad march in November and a strategy is being formulated in this regard.
Addressing a press conference, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that the issue of petroleum levy was discussed in a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, however, according to him, the Prime Minister could not present a satisfactory justification for its implementation.
He raised the question of why the burden of government incompetence and shortcomings in the financial system is being put on the people, while resources can also be obtained through improving the tax collection system.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman claimed that corruption worth about Rs 1,300 billion occurs annually in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). He demanded that the government remove the loopholes in the tax system instead of imposing additional financial burden on the public.
The Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer, while talking about the effects of petroleum product prices and levy, said that the profits of refineries and oil marketing companies have increased, while the relief received by the public is insufficient compared to their problems.
According to him, the government collects about Rs 150 billion in levy, while a relief of Rs 32 billion is being mentioned. He claimed that the major burden of this fiscal policy is falling on the middle class.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that the government’s economic strategy does not seem to be successful in solving long-term problems. According to him, to provide relief to the people, such measures are needed that will reduce the effects of inflation and also provide a permanent solution to economic problems.
He said that Jamaat-e-Islami will continue to demand the abolition of petroleum levy from the government and full preparations will be made for the Islamabad march.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman also criticized the country’s judicial system and said that the public’s trust in the justice delivery system is decreasing. According to him, fundamental reforms are necessary for the improvement of the judicial system.
He also questioned the current structure of the bureaucracy and said that it will be difficult to improve government performance without fundamental changes in the administrative system.
On a question regarding PTI’s long march, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that Jamaat-e-Islami had supported it in the past, however, every political party has its own problems and priorities. He took the position that the formation of administrative units and the overall failure of the system are two separate issues.
After meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 27, Jamaat-e-Islami indicated that it would continue talks with the government on the issue of petroleum levy. It was also reported that the government has formed a joint committee to work on proposals for public relief.
Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman made it clear that if there is no progress on the demands for abolition of petroleum levy and public relief, Jamaat-e-Islami may resume the protest. The final schedule of the march and the future strategy will depend on the government’s actions and progress in the negotiations.
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