Jamaat-e-Islami to Protest Petroleum Levy in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta

Karachi: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) will stage sit-ins at four locations across Pakistan today to protest the government’s failure to reduce the petroleum levy.

The party has announced sit-ins outside the Governor Houses in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta, while a protest will be held outside the Chief Minister’s House in Lahore. According to sources, a 15-day protest schedule has also been prepared for Karachi, with the sit-ins scheduled to begin at 3pm.

JI Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the party would march towards the Chief Minister’s House in Lahore and hold a major sit-in. He urged the youth of Punjab to come out and raise their voice for their rights, saying the party had no personal interests and was fighting for the public.

Hafiz Naeem said JI’s demands were clear: the government should end the petroleum levy and reduce fuel prices. He added that large numbers of people would also gather outside the Governor Houses in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta, claiming that the entire country stood behind the protests.

He further said increases in petroleum prices lead to a rise in the cost of essential goods and make life more difficult for the public.

It may be recalled that JI had staged protests at more than 500 locations across the country last week against repeated increases in petroleum prices and levies.