Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced on Friday that his party’s long march to reach Islamabad will arrive in the federal capital on September 23 and 24, with a train march scheduled to depart from Karachi on September 20.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Rehman stated that people would begin arriving in the city from all four directions on September 20. He made clear that the party does not intend to block roads, saying, “We are coming to get relief, not to lay hands on anyone.” He added that the government has been formally asked to grant permission for the protest.
The JI chief emphasized that the party’s sole demand is the abolition of the petroleum levy. “Our only demand is to abolish the levy,” he said, arguing that major political parties are failing to address the pressing issues faced by ordinary Pakistanis. He noted that the government had previously agreed to certain demands during negotiations but failed to implement them.
The announcement of the long march to Islamabad comes days after the party rejected the federal government’s special fuel relief scheme, insisting that the package cannot serve as a substitute for abolishing the petroleum levy. The government’s scheme, launched recently, offers a Rs100 per litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists, rickshaw and chingchi owners, and drivers of vehicles up to 800cc. Under the programme, owners of motorcycles, rickshaws, and other two- and three-wheeled vehicles receive Rs100 per litre relief on up to 20 litres of petrol per month, while owners of small vehicles up to 800cc engine capacity get the same relief on up to 30 litres monthly.
Rehman criticized the relief package, saying it was announced without proper planning and described it as “insufficient.” He contended that the government’s approach is to provide relief as charity rather than as a right. According to him, reducing the petroleum levy could have delivered relief to everyone, and he claimed that the government had collected more than its levy target. He also lamented the absence of relief on diesel, pointing out that it drives the country’s economic activity.
The JI chief revealed that the party is in contact with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and has supported their protests, while PTI supporters have backed the JI’s planned march. “If the government has any mechanism to provide relief, let us talk today,” he said, extending an offer for dialogue.
Turning to MDCAT candidates, Rehman assured that the party wants their test to proceed and promised there would be no obstruction. The JI’s long march to Islamabad is set to culminate on September 23-24, with participants gathering from across the country starting September 20.
Source: Geo News