PESHAWAR, August 19: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has announced a nationwide wheel-jam strike against the petroleum levy, saying the party will hold a countrywide strike one week after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal and then give a call for a march to Islamabad, ARY News reported.
Addressing the sit-in outside the Governor House in Peshawar, Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-ins were continuing in Lahore, Sindh and Peshawar.
He said the government increased petroleum product prices under the cover of darkness and was now saying that petroleum products would be made Rs32 cheaper.
Hafiz Naeem said the system of determining petroleum product prices on a daily basis must be ended. He alleged that the petroleum levy was being used to take money from the pockets of the people.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami had staged sit-ins at 510 locations across the country on August 7.
The JI chief alleged that the rulers were acting as servants of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and were exploiting the people.
He said flour prices were being increased under IMF pressure, while billions of rupees were being collected from the public in taxes.
Hafiz Naeem said the IMF was asking the government to reduce its expenditure, but the rulers were not ready to do so.
Announcing the party’s future strategy, Hafiz Naeem said Jamaat-e-Islami would hold a nationwide wheel-jam strike one week after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal.
He added that after the strike, the party would give a call for Islamabad.