Jamaat-e-Islami Announces Nationwide Road Blockades Over Rising Petroleum Prices

Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced nationwide protests and road blockades against rising petroleum prices and the petroleum levy imposed by the government.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah, JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said that the continuous increase in petroleum prices has made life difficult for people across the country. He alleged that the government is using war-related developments as a justification for increasing fuel prices.

He questioned the government’s taxation policies, asking what petroleum levies and other taxes have to do with international conflicts. According to Hafiz Naeem, if all taxes imposed on petroleum products were abolished, the price of petrol would not exceed Rs250 per litre.

He also criticized the government’s decision to allow daily revisions in petroleum prices, saying that the authority has been delegated to the relevant regulatory body.

The Jamaat-e-Islami chief announced that the party will block major highways across Pakistan on August 7 as part of its protest campaign. Prior to the nationwide action, the party will organize corner meetings and sit-ins in different parts of the country.

He stated that demonstrations would remain peaceful and that ambulances and emergency vehicles would be allowed to pass without obstruction. However, he warned that if the government attempted to stop the protests, the situation could develop into a broader anti-government movement.

Hafiz Naeem said that traders, industrialists, lawyers, students, religious scholars, and youth from across the country would be invited to participate in the protests, which are planned at provincial capitals and district headquarters.

Criticizing the petroleum levy, he said that the government collects approximately Rs1.8 trillion annually under the levy, placing an unfair burden on motorcyclists, laborers, and middle-class citizens. He described the taxation policy as “economic terrorism” and claimed that even those outside the formal tax net are indirectly paying taxes.

He clarified that Jamaat-e-Islami is not opposed to the country’s defence budget but objects to the privileges and benefits granted to judges, senior military officers, bureaucrats, lawmakers, and other high-ranking government officials at taxpayers’ expense.

Hafiz Naeem further alleged that government schools and basic health centers are being sold or rebranded, while poverty continues to rise in Punjab. He urged the government to disclose progress on agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), arguing that consumers are paying for electricity that is not even being generated.

Expressing concern over the situation in Balochistan, he said the government cannot simply blame foreign involvement without fulfilling its responsibility to address security challenges. He called for dialogue and consultations among all stakeholders to find a lasting political solution and announced that Jamaat-e-Islami intends to convene a grand national conference on the issue.

He also emphasized that political disputes in Azad Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved through constitutional and democratic means.

Responding to a question, Hafiz Naeem said that Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its struggle for public rights regardless of any inconvenience caused by the protests. He warned that if citizens unite in large numbers, it would become difficult for the ruling leadership to remain in power.