PM Shehbaz Asks JI to Delay March, Offers Talks on Petroleum Levy

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has contacted Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and requested the party to postpone its planned march against the petroleum levy for a few days.

According to the details, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was ready for result-oriented talks with Jamaat-e-Islami on the petroleum levy. He said that upon his return to Pakistan, he would meet Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and announce a better relief package for the public.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, however, said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its struggle against the petroleum levy. He maintained that the party would not withdraw from its protest until the levy was abolished.

The JI chief said the party had been protesting against the petroleum levy for the past one and a half months. Regarding the prime minister’s request for a few days’ pause in the long march, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said he would consult the party leadership before making a decision.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami’s train march against the petroleum levy has reached Multan. Addressing a gathering in the city, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman called for relief for the public from what he described as an additional tax burden on petroleum products.

He said the petroleum levy was not acceptable to the people and demanded its abolition.

The development comes as Jamaat-e-Islami continues its campaign against the petroleum levy, while the government has offered negotiations and a possible public relief package.