Hafiz Naeem demands abolition of Petroleum Development Levy

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Saturday said that despite announcing petroleum prices on every Friday, the government has imposed the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL).

“People talking about budget, the budget is being announced daily in Pakistan with announcement of petroleum prices on every week,” talking to media the JI leader said today.

“In the name of the PDL a tax is being collected, which is not even a tax. “It is an annual 1300 billion rupees ‘corruption’ which is not being collected by the FBR”, he said. “The PDL means boosting the capacity of the refineries,” he said.

He said 8,066 billion rupees have been recovered from the people since this levy comes into force. “This levy is being collected since 2001, and all governments have been involved in its recovery”.

JI chief said, “We are consulting over a wheel jam and protest strike.” He said, “We will take a decision if the government abolish this levy”.

“Here people could not pay school fees of their children, while they are talking in Gilgit Baltistan about the region will become like Lahore or Karachi,” Hafiz Naeem said.

JI leader demanded that the petroleum, electricity and gas prices should be fixed for three years. “The salaried class paying tax to each and every thing, still money deducted from their salaries”, he lamented.

He demanded income tax relief up to Rs1,25,000 per month salary. He warned that more taxes will be devastating for the country and the economy.