LAHORE – Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) postponed its planned march to Islamabad against the petroleum levy following a request from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the party officials said on Tuesday.
The decision came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman by telephone and requested that the protest march be delayed until his return to Pakistan.
The prime minister also offered to hold talks with the JI on the petroleum levy after returning to the country, according to a party spokesperson.
During the conversation, Hafiz Naeem told the prime minister that the JI did not want confrontation with the government or any situation that could create law and order problems. However, he maintained that the party had taken to the streets to highlight public grievances and that its constitutional right to peaceful protest should be respected.
The JI emir said he would consult the party’s Shura before giving a final response to the prime minister’s request. He also made it clear that postponing the march at the government’s request would not mean abandoning the party’s right to protest.
Train march reaches Multan
The JI’s train march reached Multan late Monday night as part of its campaign against the petroleum levy. Hafiz Naeem addressed party workers and supporters at the railway station after the train arrived.
He said the train had reached Multan about four hours late but the delay had not prevented supporters from gathering at the station.
Hafiz Naeem claimed that large numbers of people had also welcomed the march in different parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the campaign had been moving through southern Punjab and would subsequently enter central Punjab.
The JI leader reiterated his opposition to the petroleum levy, which the party has described as an additional burden on consumers, and called for its withdrawal along with measures to provide relief to the public.
JI highlights economic concerns
Hafiz Naeem said the campaign was aimed at highlighting problems faced by low- and middle-income households. He referred to the rising prices of essential commodities, including wheat, flour and sugar, as major concerns for consumers.
He also criticised government policies concerning sugar imports and exports, alleging that influential groups were affecting policy decisions in the sector.
The JI emir further referred to the party’s earlier campaign concerning agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), saying the party had taken up the issue in what it described as the public interest.
The JI had launched its protest campaign from Karachi on Sunday, with the movement heading towards Islamabad through a combination of train and road journeys. The party has organised demonstrations in several cities and has previously held talks with the federal government over its demands.
The march had been scheduled to proceed from Multan towards Lahore before entering its final phase towards Islamabad.
