Rawalpindi: Jamaat-e-Islami's protest sit-in against the petroleum levy, additional taxes and what the party describes as anti-public agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) entered its fourth consecutive day at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday. A large number of citizens, JI workers and members of allied organizations are participating in the sit-in. JI Rawalpindi City Ameer Syed Arif Shirazi, Rawalpindi Rural Ameer Raja Muhammad Jawad and Murree Ameer Ghulam Ahmed Abbasi were among the party leaders present.Addressing the protesters and the media, JI Punjab North Secretary General Iqbal Khan strongly condemned the government's decision to increase the price of petrol by Rs13 per litre. He said fluctuations in international oil prices were understandable, but there was no justification for what he termed an 'extortionist' petroleum levy. Iqbal Khan said higher petrol prices directly increased transportation costs and pushed up the prices of food, agricultural inputs and other daily necessities.He stress ed that inflation was affecting the entire population rather than workers or supporters of any particular political party. He demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and a reduction in petroleum prices, warning that failure to provide relief could turn the ongoing protests and sit-ins into a broader movement against the government. He criticized successive governments for blaming the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the country's economic difficulties while in opposition and then approaching the Fund after assuming power. He said Jamaat-e-Islami Rawalpindi had decided to further mobilize the public against what he called 'petroleum levy extortion.Iqbal Khan said JI's protests and sit-ins against the levy were continuing across the country. He added that if JI Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman gave a call for a march on Islamabad, people from Rawalpindi and other parts of the country would converge on D-Chowk. He urged the rulers to 'read the writing on the wall,' claiming that protest s had continued in 32 cities for 24 days and that people were facing severe difficulties because of rising inflation. He said many families were struggling to meet basic expenses, including house rent and children's school fees, while the business community was also facing mounting economic pressures.Iqbal Khan said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its peaceful public struggle and protests until the government abolished unjustified petroleum levies and provided meaningful economic relief to the people.