JI announces Sept 20 long march to Islamabad over petroleum levy

As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) gears up for its long march towards Islamabad, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Friday also announced plans for a long march towards the federal capital on Sept 20 to press the government to withdraw the petroleum levy, calling it a “goon tax”.

Addressing participants of the JI sit-in at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh through a video link, Rehman said negotiations between the JI and the government team over the withdrawal of the petroleum levy had failed.

He said the government claimed it was helpless to abolish the levy because it was an International Monetary Fund (IMF) demand.

Read: JI talks at table, turns heat on streets

“If this is so, did Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz seek the IMF’s permission before purchasing an aircraft worth Rs11 billion?” he asked. “Did she seek the IMF’s permission for the expenses she is incurring in London these days?”

“These are all theatrics. End these theatrics and abolish the goon tax,” he said, also calling for the abolition of taxes on independent power producers (IPPs).

Rehman also criticised the Punjab chief minister over her use of expensive aircraft. “Maryam Nawaz is travelling in expensive aircraft while our mothers and daughters are suffering in Qingqi rickshaws,” he said.

Addressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he warned the premier of public anger and said he should realise before it was too late; otherwise, he would not get an aircraft to flee the country, while drawing a parallel with former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“Understand the public’s anger. Sheikh Hasina was provided an aircraft to flee; you will not even get an aircraft,” he said.

Rehman said he would personally participate in the women’s sit-in in Rawalpindi on Saturday and address the gathering. He added that he would also lead the women’s march towards Islamabad.

He said a long march towards Islamabad would then be held from across the country on Sept 20.

“Let the government place as many containers as it wants. The people will sweep them away,” he said, adding that the entire nation would come out for the long march.

Calling for an end to interest-based financial practices, Rehman said: “End interest. This is an open war against Allah Almighty.”

He also strongly criticised Maryam, accusing her of destroying Punjab’s education and health systems and said the province’s ninth-grade results this year had been disastrous.

He said she wanted schools and health centres to be named after her, while alleging that 11,000 schools and all basic health centres had been put up for sale.

JI chief warned that if the petroleum levy was not abolished, the JI would launch a movement to oust the government.