Addressing a traders’ convention outside the Governor House on the 17th day of the sit-in, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said successive governments made promises before elections that they would not become dependent on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but joined its programmes after coming to power.
He said Pakistan was currently on its 24th IMF programme. Hafiz Naeem said ordinary citizens were forced to travel with their families on motorcycles while billions of rupees were being collected from them in the name of petroleum levy.
He questioned why the prime minister, petroleum minister, bureaucrats and senior officials could not use smaller vehicles instead of expensive cars.
He said free petrol and electricity should not be provided to government officials. The JI leader claimed that successive governments had collected more than Rs8 trillion in the name of petroleum levy.
“We are only talking about the levy; the increase in petrol prices is a separate business,” he said. He also criticised the government for charging prices for locally refined petrol according to the rates of imported petroleum products.
Referring to the US-Iran conflict, Hafiz Naeem said the increase in petroleum prices and levy during the conflict had demonstrated that the public was being treated as if it had no say.
He also criticised the Punjab government for purchasing an aircraft worth Rs11 billion, saying such spending was insensitive when millions of people were struggling with economic difficulties.
Hafiz Naeem said the government should engage with traders and allow them to suggest areas from where taxes could be collected.
He claimed that Jamaat-e-Islami had played a role in resolving public issues in Karachi, including electricity and NADRA-related problems, as well as the Bahria Town issue.
He alleged that political parties had remained silent over the K-Electric and Bahria Town issues and said his party had also previously protested against independent power producers (IPPs).
Hafiz Naeem announced that Jamaat-e-Islami would hold sit-ins outside Governor Houses in other provinces as well.
