JI announces nationwide anti-inflation campaign

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced the launch of a nationwide protest campaign against rising inflation and what it described as excessive taxation imposed by the government.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced the launch of a nationwide protest campaign against rising inflation and what it described as excessive taxation imposed by the government.

Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said the party would stage peaceful demonstrations across the country. As part of the campaign, major highways would be blocked on August 7 to draw attention to the financial difficulties faced by ordinary citizens.

He said the objective of the movement was to make people aware of what he called the government’s unfair economic policies. According to him, the ruling class continues to increase its own benefits while placing a heavier financial burden on the public through higher taxes and levies.

Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami believes in peaceful political resistance and would engage political parties, civil society organizations, traders, students, and other segments of society to build a united front against inflation. He added that the party would launch a nationwide public awareness campaign before the planned demonstrations.

Criticizing the petroleum levy, he questioned why the government continued to impose additional charges on fuel prices. He argued that the levy had no direct connection with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and claimed that consumers were paying unnecessary charges every time they purchased fuel.

The JI chief also alleged that the petroleum levy indirectly affects everyone, including people whose income would normally not be subject to taxation. He said students and low-income families were also bearing the burden because higher fuel prices increase transportation costs and raise the prices of essential goods.

Hafiz Naeem described the petroleum levy as an unjust tax and said it should be abolished immediately. He claimed that if the petroleum levy and other unnecessary taxes were removed, petrol prices could fall by as much as Rs200 per litre, providing significant relief to consumers.

He further questioned the government’s economic policies and asked why taxes linked to petroleum products continued to rise despite changes in international oil prices. He said the authorities should reduce unnecessary taxation instead of increasing the financial pressure on citizens already struggling with inflation.

The Jamaat-e-Islami chief also demanded transparency regarding the government’s negotiations with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). He urged the authorities to inform the public about the progress of talks and the steps being taken to reduce electricity costs.

He said inflation has made life increasingly difficult for millions of Pakistanis and called on the government to introduce policies that provide genuine economic relief. Hafiz Naeem urged citizens from all walks of life to participate in the planned peaceful movement, saying collective public action was necessary to protect people’s economic rights.