Jamaat-e-Islami sit-in against petroleum levy enters 12th day

The Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) sit-in protest against the petroleum levy and rising inflation entered its 12th consecutive day on Thursday.

The Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) sit-in protest against the petroleum levy and rising inflation entered its 12th consecutive day on Thursday.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticised the government over what he described as widespread incompetence, corruption and poor governance. He said the country was facing a serious governance crisis and that the recent tragedy at PIMS hospital had left the entire nation grieving.

Speaking during the protest, Hafiz Naeem said ensuring safety at public hospitals was the government’s responsibility. He alleged that PIMS lacked adequate safety arrangements and that there was no proper system for training doctors and other hospital staff to respond to emergencies.

He said the government could not avoid responsibility by claiming that incidents such as child abductions could happen anywhere. According to him, the theft of a newborn from a government hospital was a matter of grave concern and reflected poor governance in Islamabad.

The JI chief also criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), accusing them of incompetence and corruption. He alleged that political parties that had remained in power for decades were engaged in political infighting instead of addressing public problems.

Hafiz Naeem also rejected the suspension of government officials as an adequate response to major incidents. He described the suspension of the health secretary as insufficient and demanded that all those responsible for negligence be held accountable.

He said governments often appeared to wait for one tragedy to pass before another occurred, arguing that preventive measures should be introduced rather than relying solely on action after an incident.

Turning to healthcare issues in Karachi, the JI emir alleged that unsafe medical practices were contributing to the spread of HIV among children and criticised the Sindh government over what he called persistent failures in public services.

Regarding the ongoing protest, Hafiz Naeem said JI workers and supporters had continued attending the sit-in despite its extended duration.

He said the party’s main demands included a reduction in petrol prices and the withdrawal of the petroleum levy. He also called for the cancellation of what he described as unjust agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).

“Our demands are not for ourselves but for 250 million people,” Hafiz Naeem said.

He claimed that the protest had helped raise public awareness about IPP agreements and their impact on electricity costs.