PTI backs Jamaat-e-Islami’s Islamabad march against petroleum levy
At a glance
- PTI has announced its support for Jamaat-e-Islami's protest against the petroleum levy.
- JI plans to march on Islamabad on September 20 to demand the levy's removal.
- Authorities have placed containers at Islamabad's entry points ahead of planned protests.
Story so far
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a march on Islamabad for September 20 to protest against the petroleum levy, which its chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has called an "extortion tax." In a significant development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has announced his party's support for the protest. Authorities have begun placing shipping containers at the capital's entry points in anticipation of the demonstrations. JI has been holding sit-ins across the country and is reportedly in communication with other opposition parties to build a broader front.
Latest development
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has announced his party's support for Jamaat-e-Islami's protest against the petroleum levy, confirming they will join the anti-inflation movement.
Latest updates
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced its support for Jamaat-e-Islami's planned protest against the petroleum levy. Speaking in Buner, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan confirmed his party would join the anti-inflation movement.
Barrister Gohar stated that protesting is a constitutional right and urged all political parties to unite on public issues rather than engaging in mutual accusations. He also formally requested JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman to join forces for a long march.
In a fresh statement, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman reiterated that the public considers the petroleum levy an "extortion tax" and confirmed the party's march on Islamabad for September 20.
He further alleged that the country's elite has "taken over the system" and called for an audit of oil companies' profit margins to expose it. Rehman also claimed that "big families of the government are present in the sugar mafia," accusing them of profiting by first exporting sugar to create a shortage and then importing it. He stated that Pakistan cannot be truly free, economically or democratically, until these alleged "mafias" are eliminated.
In anticipation of planned protests, authorities have begun placing shipping containers at major entry points to Islamabad. The security measures come ahead of Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) scheduled march on the capital for September 20 and a separate march announced by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for September 27.
Reports indicate containers have been deployed near the 26 Number Chungi at the GT Road entrance, on the nearby bridge, and at access points from the Peshawar and Lahore motorways. The move is aimed at controlling access to the city and preventing potential disruptions from the demonstrations.
Ahead of Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) planned march on Islamabad, senior PML-N leader and federal minister Ahsan Iqbal has contacted JI leader Liaquat Baloch. The contact from the government side comes as JI prepares for a major protest in the capital on September 20 against the petroleum levy.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has stated that the party is in contact with other opposition parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), regarding its ongoing protest against the petroleum levy. He confirmed that JI supports PTI's constitutional right to protest and has received support from other parties like the Awami National Party (ANP) at its sit-ins. Mr. Rehman clarified that while they are seeking broader support, each party would protest from its own platform.
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