KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has issued a stern ultimatum to the government, demanding the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, a reduction in petrol prices, and the cancellation of all agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Addressing a massive women’s rally on Shahrah-e-Quaideen, the JI chief warned that failure to meet these demands will trigger nationwide demonstrations and the blockade of all major highways stretching from Karachi to Chitral on August 7.
Lashing out at the “IPPs mafia,” Hafiz Naeem stated that billions of rupees have been unfairly extracted from the public under the guise of electricity costs. He maintained that these agreements can be legally revoked and announced that a comprehensive forensic audit would expose the involvement of major political figures. He also criticized heavy taxation on approximately 30 million motorcyclists, describing the petroleum levy as a form of extortion that is breaking the financial back of common citizens.
Commenting on the country’s political landscape, the JI leader remarked that incompetent rulers have failed to govern, accusing politicians of staging fake disagreements in parliament while quietly uniting to hike their own salaries. He urged the public to intensify the movement on social media and take to the streets in large numbers, emphasizing that the historic turnout at the women’s rally reflects the collective voice of the nation’s 250 million citizens ready to challenge a government established through controversial Form-47 results
