JI Gives Government Up to 10 Days for Relief, Keeps Islamabad March Plan

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman says the party will intensify preparations for its mid-November march if the government fails to provide meaningful relief.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has given the government up to 10 days to announce additional public relief and make progress towards abolishing the petroleum levy. The party has also reaffirmed its plan to hold an Islamabad long march in mid-November if its demands remain unmet.

JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced the deadline on Tuesday after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The meeting focused on rising living costs, petrol prices, the government’s relief package and the proposed withdrawal of the petroleum levy.

According to Hafiz Naeem, the government requested additional time to develop relief measures through committees. The prime minister also sought seven to 10 days to address the party’s demands.

JI agreed to allow more time but did not postpone its planned march. Hafiz Naeem warned that the party would take to the streets if the government failed to deliver meaningful relief within the agreed period.

He said the government had agreed to expand its existing relief package. However, the prime minister reportedly proposed phasing out the petroleum levy, while JI is demanding its complete abolition rather than a gradual reduction.

JI Questions Size of Government Relief Package

Hafiz Naeem criticised the proposed relief measures, arguing that they were insufficient compared with the revenue collected through the petroleum levy.

He put monthly collections from the levy at approximately Rs150 billion. However, his remarks cited two different figures for the government’s relief package: Rs32 billion and Rs26 billion. The available statement does not clarify whether these amounts refer to different proposals or calculations, so the exact package value remains unconfirmed.

The JI chief also claimed that poor and middle-income households bear a substantial share of the levy’s burden. He said these groups collectively pay more than Rs100 billion, or around 70% of the total burden.

He called for a broader relief package and lower petroleum prices. He also demanded the removal of additional fuel-related taxes, including customs duties and the climate support levy.

According to Hafiz Naeem, the government should improve tax collection and governance instead of passing the cost of inefficiency and corruption on to consumers through higher fuel and electricity prices.

He added that a reduction of Rs25 or Rs35 per litre would not meet the party’s demands. JI wants the petroleum levy abolished entirely.

JI Delegation to Continue Government Talks

Hafiz Naeem said a JI delegation would continue negotiations with the government on the relief package and petroleum levy.

The negotiating committee comprises Liaquat Baloch, Farasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa and Naveed Ali Baig.

The JI chief also questioned the government’s claim that its relief package would benefit 10 million people. He maintained that the proposed measures would not adequately address the financial pressure on low-income and middle-class households.

JI will continue campaigning for lower petroleum prices, the removal of the levy and broader public relief.

Islamabad Long March Remains Planned for Mid-November

Hafiz Naeem reiterated that the Islamabad long march remains planned for mid-November. The party has agreed to give the government additional time, but it has not announced any postponement of the protest.

The seven-to-10-day period is intended to give the government time to respond to JI’s demands. If the government fails to make sufficient progress, the party says it will accelerate preparations for the march.

The next steps will depend on the outcome of negotiations and whether the government announces further relief within the agreed timeframe.