Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami to Proceed with Islamabad March over Petroleum Levy
Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party has announced that it will proceed with its planned march to the capital, Islamabad, in mid-November to protest the government's petroleum levy. The decision comes after JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who requested seven to 10 days to announce a relief package for the masses.
The government levies Rs114 per liter in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per liter on diesel, sparking protests across the country due to recent fuel price hikes caused by Gulf supply disruptions. Rehman stated that his party has presented alternative proposals to the government to provide relief to the public and abolish the petroleum levy, aiming to bring the price of petrol down to Rs225 per liter.
The government relies heavily on the petroleum levy as a major source of non-tax revenue, which helps finance budgetary expenditures and meet fiscal targets agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Fuel prices remain a sensitive issue in Pakistan, where higher transportation and energy costs quickly feed into inflation and increase the cost of living.
The JI party has held major demonstrations over the petroleum levy since August this year, with a previous march to Islamabad being temporarily halted at the request of Prime Minister Sharif. Rehman warned that if the government does not announce a relief package and make progress towards abolishing the levy, the party will have to take to the streets.
