Labour leaders back demands against fuel levy, IPP agreements

KARACHI: The Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) sit-in outside the Sindh Governor House against what it calls an “exploitative” petroleum levy and anti-people agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) entered its seventh consecutive day on Saturday.

A labour convention was held at the protest camp in the afternoon, attended by workers and trade union representatives from various industrial establishments across Karachi. JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar addressed the convention and also spoke at a press conference at the camp in the morning.

Monem Zafar said billions of rupees were being taken from the pockets of 250 million people through the petroleum levy, which he described as an “extortionate tax”, while the rulers continued to spend lavishly.

He criticised Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab over the condition of the city’s infrastructure and development projects. He said more than half of Karachi still lacked adequate water supply and questioned how long citizens would continue to buy drinking water from tanker operators.

He also questioned the varying figures given for Karachi’s development budget, saying it had been cited at Rs22 billion, then Rs45 billion and later Rs68 billion, while the city’s infrastructure remained in poor condition.

“Karachi is still in ruins and the problems of its people remain unresolved,” he said, pledging that the JI would continue its campaign for the rights of Karachi’s residents.

Monem Zafar also held the Sindh government responsible for children contracting HIV at Wazir Ali Hospital and said those responsible must be held accountable.

He praised Karachi residents for turning out in large numbers to welcome JI Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman during his visit to the sit-in. He said the party’s campaign against what it described as anti-people policies was gaining momentum.

He said the government and political parties that came to power through “Form 47” had little interest in the problems of ordinary citizens.

Speaking at the convention, JI deputy chief and labour affairs in-charge Saifuddin Advocate said the country continued to be governed under a class-based system dominated by landlords, feudal lords and capitalists.

He said workers were struggling even to afford two meals a day and called on the labour force to unite under the leadership of Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.

National Labour Federation Karachi president Khalid Khan said the government had made life increasingly difficult for workers. He said workers would not accept the petroleum levy, which he also described as an “extortionate tax”.

He demanded the resignation of Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani over the HIV cases reported at Wazir Ali Hospital. He said the NLF would assist the affected children and launch a campaign against those responsible.

Other speakers included NLF Pakistan’s former secretary general and former PIA Employees’ Union (PASLO) president Zahid Askari, PREM Union Railway Karachi Division president Moeenuddin, PTCL CBA Union vice president Jameel Akhtar, PIA labour leader Arif Roheila, Fisheries Union president Noor Hussain Arakani, Water Corporation Union president Sagheer Ansari, former PNSC Union chairman Mohammad Khaliq, NLF Karachi senior vice president Ameer Rawan, general secretary Mohammad Qasim Jamal, and Wazir Ali Hospital HIV Action Committee head Mohammad Usman Khan.

The speakers expressed solidarity with the JI’s demands and criticised government policies that they said were placing an increasing burden on workers through inflation, unemployment and rising energy costs. Cheques were also distributed among children affected by HIV as part of an assistance effort.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026