JI Emir Hafiz Naeem reaffirms demand to abolish petroleum levy

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has reaffirmed his demand to abolish the petroleum levy, saying his party has campaigned against it for more than two months, 24NewsHD TV reported.

At a press conference on Wednesday in Islamabad, Hafiz Naeem said the petroleum levy has no direct connection to the price of petrol, but higher fuel prices ultimately increase the cost of goods and services.

He said the economy would suffer if petrol prices were not reduced, adding that JI had raised the issue seriously and would continue its struggle.

Because of the party’s peaceful campaign, the petroleum levy, previously unknown to many people, had become widely understood. He claimed the government had received detailed proposals to abolish the levy but had not responded.

The JI chief rejected the claim that the petroleum levy was mandatory under Pakistan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), questioning whether the IMF had directed the government to provide exemptions to major landowners or impose fixed charges on electricity bills.

He said the government should reduce its expenditures and claimed that lowering the interest rate by three percentage points could generate savings comparable to revenue collected through the petroleum levy.

Hafiz Naeem also criticised government spending, questioning the purchase of an aircraft reportedly costing Rs11 billion and asking about the status of the previous aircraft.

He further questioned the reported order for vehicles worth Rs6.6 billion, saying the government should first provide details of the vehicles already in use.