Lahore: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Monday reviewed preparations for nationwide August 7 protest against the petroleum levy and directed JI leaders and workers to intensify the public outreach campaign ahead historic demonstration.
During a series of meetings, organisational consultations and online sessions at Mansoorah, Rehman assessed preparations for the countrywide protest, public awareness campaign and district-level mobilisation.
He said the August 7 protest was aimed at securing the public’s fundamental rights and would be held against heavy taxes on petroleum products, soaring inflation, exploitative agreements with IPPs, prolonged electricity load-shedding and unfair economic policies.
“The roads linking districts across the country will be blocked and millions of people will come out of their homes to participate in peaceful protests,” he said, adding that the demonstration would compel the government to provide relief to the masses. The JI chief warned the government
against creating any hurdles in JI’s democratic struggle.
He instructed party leaders to further accelerate the public mobilisation campaign so that JI’s message reached every segment of society. He also directed them to strengthen contacts with religious scholars, traders, lawyers, students, labourers, civil society organisations and other segments of society to ensure the success of the protest movement.
He said the JI would hold 20,000 corner meetings across the country before August 7 to raise public awareness about the protest and its demands. Rehman announced that sit-ins would be staged on major highways and urged young people to bring their motorcycles onto the roads and park them there as part of the protest. He clarified that ambulances would be allowed to pass without obstruction during the demonstrations.
Reiterating the JI demands, he called on the government to immediately abolish the petroleum levy, review expensive agreements with IPPs, end electricity load-shedding and take effective measu
res to control inflation.
“The government is burdening the people with new taxes and higher fuel prices instead of providing relief,” he said, adding that the petroleum levy had placed an unnecessary financial burden on the public and should be abolished to ease economic hardships.