Addressing a gathering in Timergara, Hafiz Naeem warned that if the levy is not withdrawn, Jamaat-e-Islami will march to Islamabad. He said the government should understand the situation beforehand, adding that the party would not stop its campaign after the announcement of petrol relief.
Hafiz Naeem said protests are currently continuing in 40 cities across Pakistan and that Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-ins would continue along with its planned long march. He said protests are being held in Timergara, Shangla, Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur and several other locations, while the sit-in in Batkhela turned into a large public gathering on Sunday.
He said protests are continuing in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan, claiming that Jamaat-e-Islami had united people across the country for their rights.
Criticising the government, Hafiz Naeem alleged that rulers collect levies from the public while enjoying luxuries themselves. He also claimed that Maryam Nawaz purchased an aircraft worth Rs11 billion despite the country being in wartime conditions.
He said symbolic measures would not be enough and the petroleum levy would have to be abolished.
On interest rates, Hafiz Naeem criticised the government for saying that reducing interest rates could anger the International Monetary Fund. He alleged that the government was engaging in a conflict with Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because of its fear of the IMF.
He claimed that even a one-percentage-point reduction in interest rates could save Rs1.7 trillion. He also alleged that banking, sugar, flour and IPP mafias were working together and that the public’s hard-earned money was being used to support such groups.
Hafiz Naeem said such mafias exist across political parties and that the issue is not limited to one party. He claimed that workers from other political parties were also joining Jamaat-e-Islami’s movement.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami had asked the rulers to reduce the size of their vehicles, but they were not ready to listen. He further claimed that the government had already lost to Jamaat-e-Islami’s arguments at the negotiating table.
Hafiz Naeem warned that if the government failed to provide adequate relief, decisions would be made on the streets and Jamaat-e-Islami would launch a movement to bring down the government.
He also claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were facing difficult circumstances, while saying that every leader and worker of Jamaat-e-Islami remained connected and that there was no distinction between the party’s leadership and workers.
