JI chief warns govt against presenting ‘anti-people budget’
LAHORE: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, substantial tax relief for salaried individuals and the empowerment of local governments in accordance with the Constitution, warning that the JI would launch a nationwide protest movement, strikes, and other forms of agitation if the government presents an anti-people budget.
Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah on Saturday, Rehman urged the government to take urgent and effective measures for the release of Pakistani citizens and others being held hostage by pirates near Somalia. He said the captives were facing severe shortages of food and water and stressed that it was the government’s responsibility to ensure their safe return home.
Vice Emir Dr Ataur Rehman, Central Punjab Emir Javed Kasuri, Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, Deputy Secretaries Nazir Ahmad Janjua and Azhar Iqbal Hassan, and Information Secretary Shakil Turabi were also present on the occasion.
Condemning Israeli attacks in Palestine, Rehman said the bloodshed in Gaza continued despite a ceasefire. He criticized Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks about US President Donald Trump, describing such statements as inconsistent with national dignity. He said those supporting forces responsible for the suffering of Palestinians could not be portrayed as champions of peace.
The JI chief said the government was burdening the public by collecting heavy petroleum levies and had already generated trillions of rupees through the tax without undertaking meaningful reforms in the energy sector or improving refinery infrastructure. He demanded that petrol, electricity, and gas prices be reduced and frozen for at least three years to provide stability to the economy.
The JI leader warned that the imposition of additional taxes in the upcoming budget would have devastating consequences for the economy, industry, and ordinary citizens. He called for complete income tax exemption for salaried individuals earning up to Rs125,000 per month and significant tax reductions for other salaried groups.
He strongly criticized the outsourcing of public educational institutions and healthcare facilities in Punjab and other provinces, saying the government was shifting its constitutional responsibilities to the private sector, a move that could adversely affect the quality of education and healthcare services.
The JI leader also criticized government policies relating to sugar, cotton, and agriculture, arguing that farmers, industries, and consumers were suffering while vested interests continued to benefit.
He maintained that Pakistan’s problems could not be solved through further constitutional or administrative experiments and called for a permanent, autonomous, and constitutionally protected local government system with full financial, administrative, and political power.
Responding to a question, Rehman described the Benazir Income Support Programme as ineffective in eliminating poverty, saying the state should focus on providing education, skills, and employment opportunities rather than dependency-based assistance. He also opposed any additional burden or taxation on solar energy users, arguing that people had adopted solar systems due to unaffordable electricity prices and should not be penalized for doing so.
He reiterated that JI was actively campaigning on public issues and warned that if the government introduced a budget contrary to public interests, the party would announce a nationwide protest movement and mass agitation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026