Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said Tuesday the party would go ahead with its Islamabad long march in mid-November despite the government seeking another 7 to 10 days to address its demand for abolishing the petroleum levy. Jamaat-e-Islami would continue preparations for the march and begin mobilisation across the country while holding further talks with the government, Hafiz Naeem told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
"We will no longer postpone the Islamabad march," the Jamaat-e-Islami chief said. "We will continue talking to the government, but the march will take place in mid-November." He said the prime minister had sought another 7 to 10 days, while the two sides agreed that greater relief would be provided on petroleum products.
However, Hafiz Naeem said differences remained over how that relief should be delivered. "We say the levy should be abolished; they say relief will be provided in phases," he said, adding that the government was talking about gradually eliminating the petroleum levy while Jamaat-e-Islami wanted its immediate abolition.
He urged the government to devise a mechanism for abolishing the levy and announce its package before Jamaat-e-Islami begins its march. The Jamaat-e-Islami chief said the petroleum levy was disproportionately burdening the middle and lower-income classes, while the government's existing relief package was providing little benefit to the public.
He reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami wanted both lower petrol prices and the abolition of the levy. Hafiz Naeem claimed the government had reconsidered its position because of Jamaat-e-Islami's protests, questioning whether any relief package would have been announced had the party not taken to the streets.
He warned that Jamaat-e-Islami could intensify its protest if its demands remained unmet. "We may have to sit on the streets and talk," he said.
Responding to a question about negotiations with the government, Hafiz Naeem said talks had to be held with whoever was in power, "whether they are from Form 47 or Form 48". "If a hijacker hijacks a plane, you have to talk to him," he remarked.
The political landscape remains tense as the party prepares its nationwide campaign. Hafiz Naeem emphasized that the party's core objective is to provide relief to the common man, who is currently struggling under the weight of high inflation and energy costs.
The government, meanwhile, is attempting to balance its fiscal obligations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while managing the growing public pressure exerted by opposition parties and religious-political groups like Jamaat-e-Islami. As the mid-November deadline approaches, all eyes will be on the upcoming rounds of negotiations.
Whether the government can offer a concrete plan that satisfies the demands of the protesters remains to be seen, but for now, the march remains a firm fixture on the political calendar.