KARACHI (Dunya News) - Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned that his party will take to the streets again if the government fails to take action on abolishing the petroleum levy.
Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-e-Haq, Hafiz Naeem said his party's campaign against the petroleum levy would continue until the government provided relief to the public.
He said he had raised the issue with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, urging him to abolish the levy, adding that the government was collecting Rs150 billion every month through the tax.
According to Hafiz Naeem, Ishaq Dar had assured him that the government would share relevant figures within a day or two.
He said Dar had argued that abolishing the levy would also benefit owners of larger vehicles. In response, Hafiz Naeem proposed increasing the levy on expensive vehicles from Rs100 to Rs200 while providing relief to the middle and lower-income segments of society.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief said he had also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who sought more time to consider additional relief measures. However, he reiterated that his party's primary demand was the abolition of the petroleum levy.
He also criticised the federal and provincial governments, alleging that they had come to power through Form 47, and blamed corruption for the deterioration of conditions in Sindh, particularly Karachi.