LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, substantial tax relief for salaried individuals and the empowerment of local governments, warning that the JI will launch a nationwide protest movement if the government presents an anti-people budget.

Addressing a press conference at Mansoora on Saturday, Mr 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 criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks about US President Donald Trump, describing such statements as inconsistent with national dignity. He said that 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 criticised 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.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026