LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has announced that his party will reveal the date for a countrywide strike on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal as part of its ongoing campaign against the petroleum levy and rising inflation.
Speaking to journalists in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said the JI would call for a nationwide shutter-down strike and was currently engaging with traders to build support for the protest.
He said the party would also announce plans for a march towards Islamabad after the countrywide strike. Hafiz Naeem maintained that the government would have to abolish the petroleum levy, saying protests and sit-ins would continue until the demand was addressed.
The JI chief said the party had no personal agenda and was taking to the streets over issues affecting ordinary citizens. He criticised the government’s economic policies and claimed that the burden of rising costs was being placed on Pakistan’s poor.
Hafiz Naeem also raised concerns over wheat prices, alleging that the government had allowed wheat exports that later contributed to higher prices in the domestic market. He questioned the lack of clarity over wheat imported during the caretaker government’s tenure.
The JI leader further criticised the government over the petroleum levy and the limited relief being passed on to consumers following a reduction in diesel prices.
He questioned why the petroleum levy was still being collected despite lower fuel prices, arguing that the levy was not directly linked to the actual cost of petroleum products.
The announcement comes as the JI intensifies its protest campaign over inflation and energy-related costs. The party has been seeking broader public and trader participation in its planned actions.
Hafiz Naeem said consultations with traders were continuing and indicated that the next phase of the movement would be announced after the strike date is finalised.
The announcement of the strike date on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal is expected to provide greater clarity on the JI’s protest schedule, including its proposed march towards Islamabad.
