Key points:
- Jamaat-i-Islami Lahore held a protest at Ichhra on Ferozepur Road against rising petroleum prices and inflation.
- The demonstration was led by Ziauddin Ansari Advocate, while Hafiz Naeemur Rehman addressed participants.
- Protesters demanded the abolition of the petroleum levy and other taxes on petroleum products.
- The party called for the immediate withdrawal of recent electricity tariff increases.
- Demonstrators urged the government to take action against alleged flour and LPG profiteering.
- Jamaat-i-Islami proposed fixing petrol prices at Rs225 per litre for the next three years.
- The party warned it would continue its campaign if public demands remained unaddressed.
LAHORE – Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Friday organised a protest demonstration in Lahore against rising petroleum prices, electricity tariff increases, inflation and what it described as the influence of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), while demanding the abolition of the petroleum levy and other taxes on fuel.
The protest was held at Ichhra on Ferozepur Road following an appeal by JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. The demonstration was led by Jamaat-i-Islami Lahore Ameer Ziauddin Ansari Advocate, while Hafiz Naeem addressed participants during the gathering.
A large number of party workers, traders, youth and local residents attended the protest. Several senior party leaders, including Lahore Secretary Azhar Bilal, deputy ameers Khalid Ahmed Butt, Engineer Akhlaq Ahmed, Chaudhry Muhammad Shaukat, Malik Shahid Aslam and Waqas Ahmed Butt, also participated.
The demand of protestors
The protesters demanded the abolition of all taxes imposed on petroleum products, including the petroleum levy, and called on the government to withdraw recent electricity tariff increases. They also urged authorities to take action against those allegedly responsible for artificial increases in flour and LPG prices.
Participants further proposed freezing petrol prices at Rs225 per litre for the next three years, arguing that such a measure would help curb inflation and provide economic stability.
Addressing the rally, Ziauddin Ansari said continuous increases in petroleum prices were placing additional financial pressure on households by raising transportation costs and increasing the prices of essential commodities.
He maintained that the government should pass on the benefit of lower international oil prices to consumers and restore petroleum prices to previous levels to provide relief from inflation.
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What the JI Lahore Chief further stated
The JI Lahore chief also alleged that electricity tariff increases primarily benefited IPPs rather than consumers, while accusing flour and LPG traders of creating artificial shortages and price hikes. He called on the government to ensure implementation of official prices and take action against hoarding and profiteering.
Criticising the government’s economic policies, Ansari said the administration had failed to provide meaningful relief to citizens and was placing additional financial burdens on the public through taxes and inflation.
He said Jamaat-i-Islami would continue its campaign under the leadership of Hafiz Naeemur Rehman if the government’s policies remained unchanged.
