JI women hold protest rally against petroleum levy, inflation in Islamabad

Women activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held a protest rally at Aabpara Chowk in Islamabad on Saturday against the petroleum levy, rising fuel prices and inflation.

Addressing the rally, JI ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the government was continuously increasing inflation and raising petroleum prices, making life increasingly difficult for the common man. He said rising fuel prices had made essential goods more expensive, while even middle-class and white-collar families were struggling to meet household expenses. “It has become difficult for the poor to secure even two meals a day,” Hafiz Naeem said, urging the entire nation to demand a reduction in petroleum prices.

He demanded the abolition of the petroleum levy, saying it had no direct connection with international oil prices. He alleged that petrol prices were increased when global oil prices rose but were not reduced proportionately when international prices fell. He accused the government of collecting an “extortion-like tax” from the public on every litre of petrol. He said taxes were being imposed on electricity, petrol, food items and mobile cards, placing an increasing burden on ordinary citizens. “Privileges are granted to the elite while the tax burden is placed on the common man,” he said.

The JI emir said women were particularly affected by the disruption of household budgets as they had to manage children's education, electricity bills and daily expenses. He also criticised what he described as the lavish spending of the ruling elite, saying there had been no reduction in their expenditure despite the rising cost of living. He called for details of the rulers' expenses on foreign tours and personal events to be made public.

Hafiz Naeem said those claiming to meet their own expenses should disclose their sources of income, tax returns and expenditures to the nation. He also criticised the education system in Punjab, claiming that the failure of 52% of students in the ninth-grade examinations had exposed the shortcomings of the government's education policies. He said providing education and ensuring quality schooling for children was the state's responsibility. A uniform and high-quality education system should be introduced across the country, he added.

The JI ameer called for an end to the commercialisation of education and said the disparity between public and private educational institutions should be eliminated so that children from poor, middle-class and wealthy families could have equal access to quality education. Speaking about JI's ongoing protest campaign, Hafiz Naeem said sit-ins would continue and the party would also hold a long march. “We will arrive from all directions. Containers are being placed [to block us], but we will not relinquish our constitutional rights,” he said.

He stressed that the party's protests would remain peaceful. “Our demands are for the future of the nation. Jamaat-e-Islami’s demands are not for itself, but for the nation,” Hafiz Naeem said. “Let us live; we are simply demanding our rights,” he added.

He said the strength of public participation would become evident when the long march took place. “This is everyone’s issue,” Hafiz Naeem said.