JI announces nationwide protests, Lahore rally against inflation and delays in LG polls

LAHORE: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Wednesday announced a series of major public gatherings across the country as part of the party’s campaign against inflation, farmers’ problems and delays in local government (LG) elections.

Addressing a press conference at JI’s Mansoorah headquarters, Rehman said JI would hold a public gathering in Quetta on Nov 22, followed by a major rally at Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore on Nov 29. Similar gatherings would later be organised in Peshawar and Karachi as well, he added.

The JI has been demanding for over two months that the Centre abolish petroleum levies, as fuel prices have skyrocketed due to conflicts in the Middle East since March.

Speaking on Wednesday, Rehman said his party has now decided to broaden that movement to include protests against rising prices of petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), difficulties faced by farmers and delays in holding LG polls.

Since last week, the government has made six consecutive reductions in the prices of petrol and diesel as global oil prices declined.

However, relief is yet to reach the public as consumers continue to pay the same rates for essential commodities due to no change in goods transporters’ charges. LPG also continues to be sold at rates much higher than the official rate, following disruption of supply from Iran.

Rehman claimed no other political party was seriously raising issues affecting ordinary citizens. He maintained that political movements should neither resort to violence nor take up batons, describing the JI’s campaign as organised and peaceful.

Highlighting the economic difficulties facing the public, Rehman said LPG prices had crossed Rs500 per kg, while electricity and gas tariffs remained excessively high. He also alleged that oil refineries were making huge profits from petroleum products.

Under a one-month arrangement announced on Nov 2, oil refineries are to contribute to the petroleum levy by bearing a monthly cumulative impact of Rs15 billion, according to the government. This allows a Rs14.71 reduction in the petrol price at the consumer end.

The JI chief also criticised the Punjab government, led by PML-N’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, over what he said was a deteriorating agricultural situation. He contended that small farmers were bearing the brunt of government policies.

The price of a 50kg bag of DAP fertiliser had exceeded Rs17,000, while urea was not readily available in the market, he said.

Flour prices had reached Rs8,000 per 40kg, whereas farmers had sold wheat for less than Rs3,500 per 40kg. The price had since climbed to around Rs5,500 per 40kg, he added.

Rehman claimed that the area under cotton cultivation had declined by 60 per cent over the past decade, with sugarcane increasingly replacing cotton in traditional cotton-growing areas.

He said farmers did not receive a fair price for sugarcane, while there were indications that sugar mills might not begin crushing by the Nov 15 deadline.

The JI chief claimed that a few influential political families owned nearly 75 pc of the country’s sugar mills and alleged that various “mafias” benefited from creating and exploiting shortages and market distortions.

On LG elections, Rehman said the JI had approached the courts over the failure to hold polls and amendments introduced to Punjab’s local government law.

Describing the existing Punjab Local Government Act as anti-democratic, he said JI had rejected the legislation and demanded amendments to ensure timely elections and effective local representation.

On the issue of petroleum levy, on which the JI has been holding consultations with the Centre, Rehman said a joint technical team comprising government and party representatives had prepared a draft agreement.

He said the government would review the proposed agreement before announcing relief measures for the public.

The JI chief said the party’s protest drive against the petrol levy had helped prevent further hikes in petrol prices and secured relief for motorcycle owners and owners of vehicles with engine capacities below 1,000cc.

However, the JI had asked the government to extend the existing relief package to vehicles up to 1,300cc, agricultural machinery running on diesel and public transport, he added.

Rehman made it clear that the party had not withdrawn its demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy.

“We will decide our future course of action after the final agreement,” he asserted.

Rehman demanded that the government pass on the benefits of declining international oil prices to consumers while curbing excessive profits made by oil refineries.

He also urged the rulers to reduce their own privileges and luxuries, as well as those enjoyed by the bureaucracy, instead of shifting the burden of economic difficulties onto the public.