Addressing a public gathering, Hafiz Naeem said the march would involve participants from Karachi, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said a train march would also leave Karachi on September 20 and travel towards Islamabad via Multan and Lahore.
The JI chief said the party would continue its protest against the petroleum levy and claimed the government had failed to accept its demands despite several rounds of talks.
Hafiz Naeem called for the complete withdrawal of the petroleum levy, arguing that higher fuel prices affect transportation, food prices, industry and wider economic activity. JI has been holding sit-ins and protests in several cities as part of its campaign against the levy.
He also criticised the government over its fuel pricing policy, saying consumers should receive greater relief when international oil prices decline. He further called for a reduction in interest rates and questioned government spending, subsidies and payments in the energy sector.
The JI emir said the party had proposed measures involving the petroleum levy, independent power producers and other government expenditures, claiming these could reduce the financial burden on the national exchequer.
Hafiz Naeem also said JI was in contact with leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and that the two sides had supported each other’s protests.
According to Hafiz Naeem’s latest statement, participants are expected to begin arriving in Islamabad from September 20, while the march itself is expected to reach the capital on September 23 and 24. He also said the party did not intend to block roads.
The JI chief reiterated that the party’s main demand is the abolition of the petroleum levy and said negotiations with the government could continue if authorities had a workable plan to provide relief to consumers.
