JI to resume ‘super long march’ from Multan if demands not met: Hafiz

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman on Sunday said that his party’s protest movement against the petroleum levy, agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) and inflation will continue, and a “super long march” will be resumed from Multan if the government fails to accept public demands.

He was speaking to the media during a visit to a JI protest camp at 5-Star Chowrangi, North Nazimabad, against the petroleum levy, IPP agreements, high electricity prices and inflation. Hafiz Naeem said the JI had not ended its protest movement but only postponed it. Protest camps had been established across the country, including Karachi, and the party would take a memorandum carrying signatures of millions of people to Islamabad.

“JI has no personal agenda. Our struggle is only for the rights of the people,” he said, urging the JI workers to go from street to street and market to market with the memorandum, create awareness about public issues and collect signatures in support of the demands. He said the party was seeking complete abolition of the petroleum levy, a review of what he termed “anti-people” agreements with IPPs, reduction in electricity prices and an end to placing the burden of inflation on ordinary citizens. He said the ruling class and elite should reduce their own expenses instead.

The JI chief said that after the prime minister returned from his foreign visit, the JI would hold a frank discussion with him. If the demands were accepted, the matter would be resolved; otherwise, a “super long march” would be launched from Multan. He said the government attempts to stop public protests would not succeed. Referring to the denial of permission for a JI public meeting in Lahore, he said the government had to step back when people came out in large numbers.

“Public protest is a democratic right and JI will continue its struggle for people’s rights,” he said that inflation and unemployment had made life difficult for ordinary citizens, while the business community was also facing serious difficulties because of rising prices. He thanked traders, particularly those in Karachi, for supporting the September 3 strike and raising their voice on public issues.

The JI leader said that increases in the petroleum levy and petrol prices affected the prices of other goods and worsened conditions for ordinary people. The government should review its policies instead of placing further burdens on the public, he added that the country faced various forms of what he called “mafia”, including in the IPP, flour and sugar sectors and interests linked to the banking system. He alleged that no effective voice was being raised against them because rulers protected each other’s interests.

He said that billions of rupees had been added to the burden on people through the current budget, while opposition parties had also failed to mount an effective protest against the petroleum levy and other taxes. Hafiz Naeem said that the JI had started a new political journey in which the real issues of the people were being placed at the centre. “JI has no personal agenda but talks about people’s rights, ending inflation, reducing electricity and petrol prices and ending oppressive taxes,” he said.

He said the JI had also raised its voice on several civic issues in Karachi, including K-Electric, NADRA and Bahria Town, claiming that its efforts had helped resolve these issues. He further claimed that 90 per cent of people in Karachi had obtained their national identity cards as a result of the party’s struggle. He said the JI had also campaigned against IPP agreements, claiming that the campaign had resulted in relief in electricity bills.

Referring to the Iran-US war, he said the government had increased the petroleum levy instead of providing relief to people. He said about Rs80 per litre was still being collected as petroleum levy. He said the government had tried to give the impression that the increase in petroleum levy was a condition imposed by international financial institutions. However, he said, the JI maintained that the IMF had not demanded an increase in the levy but had also called for taxes to be collected from the elite, feudal and landlords.

He said the salaried class was paying heavy taxes while feudal and landlords were not paying taxes according to their incomes. People should know how the ruling class was shifting the tax burden onto them, he added. He also alleged large-scale corruption and tax evasion within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), saying the institution would have to fulfil its basic responsibility of ensuring tax collection.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026