Hafiz Naeem Threatens Islamabad Long March Over Petroleum Levy

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has warned that his party could launch a long march towards Islamabad if the federal government refuses to abolish the petroleum levy, raising political pressure ahead of another round of negotiations scheduled for September 10. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi on Wednesday, he said the party would intensify its protest campaign if talks failed to produce meaningful relief for consumers.

Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami had maintained sit-ins at 32 locations for 25 days as part of its campaign against the levy and rising fuel costs. He said the government had requested time for negotiations and that the party would decide its next course after the September 10 meeting. If the government maintained what he described as a rigid position, he said, the party would move toward announcing a march on the federal capital.

The JI chief argued that the petroleum levy should not be attributed to fluctuations in the international oil market and blamed domestic fiscal policy for the burden on consumers. He claimed that Rs1,567 billion had been collected from the public through the levy over one year. He also warned that any further increase in petrol prices could trigger an expansion of the protest movement.

The confrontation has increasingly shifted from street protests to negotiations. Hafiz Naeem said the government had asked the party to submit proposals for reducing petroleum product prices and that JI was participating seriously in that process. The party has already presented a package of proposals focused on the levy, while maintaining that demonstrations will continue alongside talks until concrete measures are implemented.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said the proposals submitted by Jamaat-e-Islami were forwarded to the relevant ministries for examination and that feasible recommendations should be implemented without unnecessary delay. He has also argued that recent increases in petroleum prices are linked to regional conditions affecting energy markets. Government representatives are expected to meet the JI delegation again on Thursday to discuss the recommendations and possible relief measures.

Hafiz Naeem said his party was also contacting opposition groups to increase political pressure over fuel prices. He referred to the Sindh Assembly's resolution calling for abolition of the petroleum levy and said JI could approach Pakistan Peoples Party leaders despite political differences if their support helped advance the demand. His remarks indicate an effort to broaden the campaign beyond Jamaat-e-Islami's own protest network and turn the levy into a wider parliamentary and opposition issue.

The dispute has direct implications for households, transport operators and businesses because fuel prices feed into transport and distribution costs across Pakistan. Recent price increases have already intensified political criticism over the cost of living, while the government faces the challenge of balancing public demands for relief with its fiscal requirements and exposure to volatile international energy markets.

Attention will now focus on the September 10 negotiations. A compromise could shift the confrontation toward implementation of agreed measures, while failure to reach an understanding could lead Jamaat-e-Islami to announce a timetable for its Islamabad march and broaden demonstrations across the country. The government's response to the party's proposals will therefore determine whether the dispute moves toward de-escalation or a more disruptive phase of political mobilisation.