Hafiz Naeem Demands Rs 122 Cut in Petrol Price, Calls Petroleum Levy Burden on Poor

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has called for an immediate and substantial reduction in petroleum prices in Pakistan, demanding that the government slash petrol prices by Rs 122 per litre by scrapping the petroleum levy that he says has placed an unbearable financial burden on ordinary citizens.

the JI chief said in a pointed statement on Saturday, declaring that the levy collections amounting to 3,000 billion rupees have been extracted directly from the pockets of Pakistan’s poorest.

he said, further proposing a bold price target.

he suggested, arguing that price stability over a fixed term would bring relief to consumers and allow the broader economy to function without disruption.

Hafiz Naeem asserted, issuing a stern warning against continued economic mismanagement.

he added.

Constitutional Court challenge

Separately, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has taken the fight to the courts, filing a constitutional petition in the Federal Constitutional Court against the government’s Petroleum Levy mechanism and the newly introduced Climate Support Levy (CSL). JI argues that both measures are in direct violation of the Constitution, parliamentary supremacy, the federal system, and the fundamental rights of citizens.

The petition contends that the Petroleum Levy has ceased to function as a limited regulatory surcharge and has instead evolved into a primary revenue-generating tool for the government — one being imposed through executive notifications and statutory regulatory orders (SROs) rather than through proper parliamentary legislation. At Rs 117.41 per litre, the levy now constitutes nearly 43 percent of the ex-refinery price of petrol, a level the petition describes as a historic high.

The petition further reveals that the government is projected to collect Rs 1.47 trillion under the Petroleum Levy in fiscal year 2025–26, while cumulative collections have already surpassed Rs 6.3 trillion. JI also challenged the Finance Act 2025, under which the legal cap on the Petroleum Levy was removed entirely, granting the executive unlimited power to impose the charge without legislative oversight.

According to the petition, the levy is being forcibly collected from the public without the provision of any specific service or tangible benefit in return, and has been deliberately labeled a “levy” rather than a tax solely to bypass constitutional requirements that would otherwise apply.

Hafiz Naeem has urged the Federal Constitutional Court to exercise its authority to protect citizens from economic exploitation, restore parliamentary oversight, declare Section 3 of the Finance Act 2025 unconstitutional, and strike down the Petroleum Levy as an invalid and unconstitutional tax.