LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday announced nationwide protests on Friday (today) to demand a significant reduction in petrol prices and warning that the party would launch prolonged sit-ins across all four provinces if its demands were not met.
Addressing a press conference at Mansoorah, he welcomed Pakistan’s role in promoting the Iran-US ceasefire but said lasting peace in the Middle East remained impossible without resolving the Israeli issue. He also called for dialogue to address problems inAzad Jammu and Kashmir and offered JI’s cooperation.
He demanded an immediate reduction in petrol prices to Rs225 per litre, abolition of the petroleum levy and a three-year price freeze. He also called for reductions in diesel and electricity tariffs, arguing that modest cuts would not provide meaningfulrelief.
Mr Rehman said improved global and regional conditions should translate into relief for Pakistanis. He urged the government to reduce prices of essential commodities, curb its own expenditures and stop shifting the burden of inflation onto the public under ‘IMF-driven policies’.
He claimed that ordinary citizens paid around Rs400 billion annually in petroleum levy while tax contributions from landlords remained minimal. He also criticised government spending, citing purchases of official aircraft and vehicles and large increases in lawmakers’ salaries compared with modest raises for employees and pensioners.
The JI emir said poverty, unemployment and taxation were worsening, while interest payments would consume nearly Rs8 trillion of the Rs18 trillion federal budget. He criticised the interest-based economic system, saying it restricted access to credit for citizens and businesses.
He accused powerful flour, sugar and IPP lobbies of operating without accountability and urged young people to join JI’s campaign for public rights. He also questioned whether a family could survive on the government’s minimum wage of Rs41,000 and argued that programmes such as the Benazir Income Support Programme were not long-term solutions to poverty.
Mr Rehman demanded an end to discretionary development funds for lawmakers, higher pensions and increased payments under the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). He said more than Rs600 billion had been collected from salaried individuals while privileged sectors remained protected.
Responding to journalists, Mr Rehman said JI remained committed to dialogue and democratic politics. He said the party was strengthening its position nationwide and expressed confidence that it would emerge as a major parliamentary force in future elections.
He also criticised cuts to the education budget despite the government’s declaration of an education emergency, highlighting poor conditions in public universities. He called for reforms in the tax system, support for farmers, stronger local governments andconsultations with traders to develop a more effective taxation mechanism.
Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026