SUKKUR, Sept\u00a0 21 (EPI): Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, saying the government was shifting the burden of its corruption, inefficiency and lavish spending onto the public through heavy taxation.<\/p>\n
Addressing a press conference in Sukkur on Monday, he said the government was collecting Rs135 in taxes on every litre of petrol, which he described as unacceptable at a time when inflation was putting increasing pressure on low- and middle-income families.<\/p>\n
Rehman said people from across the country would join JI\u2019s Islamabad march and warned that the government could not prevent them from reaching the capital by blocking roads.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t put up containers; provide relief to the people. Don\u2019t shut down cities. Open the roads for people, the economy, education and employment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He described the petroleum levy as a \u201cbhatha tax\u201d on the public and said its abolition would help reduce transport fares and the prices of essential commodities. He said fluctuations in global oil prices affected countries worldwide, but the government was placing an additional burden on Pakistani consumers through taxes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe petroleum levy has no connection with the international market price,\u201d he said, reiterating that ending the levy and providing genuine relief to the public was the sole demand of JI\u2019s ongoing campaign.<\/p>\n
The JI emir also said that corruption within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had reached Rs1,300 billion, while government expenditure continued to rise. He contrasted what he described as Rs11 billion worth of aircraft owned by the ruling elite with the economic hardships faced by ordinary citizens.<\/p>\n
Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said JI\u2019s train march was continuing with public support despite severe heat and humidity, with party workers travelling in economy class. The train had reached Rohri and would proceed to Multan before heading towards Islamabad, he said.<\/p>\n
He also criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying that while it claimed to support JI\u2019s campaign against the federal government, obstacles were being placed in the way of the train march and people seeking to welcome it.<\/p>\n
He said JI workers and supporters faced difficulties in Hyderabad and Tando Adam, while groups arriving to welcome the march in Sukkur and Rohri were not allowed to reach the platforms.<\/p>\n
Rehman asked the PPP to explain why restrictions were being imposed if it supported the protest against the federal government. He urged the party to facilitate the train march instead of creating hurdles, saying that rising petrol prices and inflation were issues affecting people across Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"