Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy, terming it an extortionist tax on the public, and rejected the federal government's token relief measures as insufficient. Addressing a press conference at the party's headquarters, Idara Noor-e-Haq, on Saturday, the Jamaat-e-Islami chief criticised the government for collecting staggering revenues while offering minimal pass-through benefits to citizens.
"The government collected Rs1,567 billion in petroleum levy last year and continues to extract roughly Rs150 billion each month, yet it is extending a meager Rs26 billion in relief to the public," Rehman questioned. He demanded that the scope of fuel relief be expanded from 800cc vehicles to include vehicles up to 1300cc, as well as agricultural tractors used by farmers.
Countering the government's stance that removing the levy would disproportionately benefit luxury car owners, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader proposed levying a Rs200 per litre tax exclusively on vehicles exceeding 1800cc while slashing the tax burden for the middle class by Rs30 to Rs40 per litre.
He urged the government to formally announce the total removal of the petroleum levy in the upcoming federal budget, noting that continuous agitation by his party had forced the administration to scrutinise refineries and announce limited relief. "Oil marketing companies owe Rs400 billion in unpaid levies, tangled up in litigation.
Recovering these dues alone could significantly crash petrol prices," he noted, pointing out that local refineries had escalated profits by up to 1,000pc under windfall margins without transferring benefits to consumers. He also questioned why savings of Rs4,000 to Rs5,000 billion generated from renegotiated independent power producer (Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP)) agreements had not yet reflected in consumer utility tariffs.
Earlier, accompanied by Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami chief Monem Zafar and local municipal officials, Rehman inaugurated the Shafee Family Park in North Nazimabad Block D, built under the North Nazimabad Town Municipal Corporation (TMC). Speaking at the inauguration, he said, "Karachi ranks 170th out of 173 liveable cities globally, a damning indictment of those ruling the province."
He added that the metropolis continued to suffer severe water shortages under the grip of the tanker mafia, arguing that genuine urban relief requires empowering local government bodies and allocating legitimate financial shares to the city. On national politics, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader reiterated his party's call for electoral reforms based on proportional representation to ensure true democratic representation.
He denounced political victimisation, citing cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. Reflecting on international developments, he commented that the capitalist framework has failed to deliver equity, asserting that the world urgently requires a system centred on human justice.