JI Islamabad March to Go Ahead in Mid-November Over Petroleum Levy

JI Islamabad March to Go Ahead in Mid-November Over Petroleum Levy

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced on Tuesday that his party's long march towards Islamabad will go ahead in mid-November in protest against the petroleum levy, after meeting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House. He said the government had asked for another seven to 10 days to decide on the matter, but the march would no longer be postponed.

The two sides remain apart on how relief should be delivered. JI wants the petroleum levy abolished immediately, while the government says relief will come in phases. Hafiz Naeem argued the levy hits the middle and lower-income classes hardest and said the government's existing relief package gives ordinary people little benefit. He warned that JI could intensify its protest if its demands are not met, saying: "We may have to sit on the streets and talk."

The government and JI have agreed to form a six-member committee to review proposals and finalise recommendations. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said global oil prices are rising and the government does not want to take irresponsible steps, while the prime minister's aide Rana Sanaullah said the government is already giving a subsidy of Rs100 per litre to 12.7 million people, a number expected to reach 20 million soon, with the petroleum levy itself standing at Rs80 per litre.

Source: read more

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fairbairn's Walk-Off Field Goal Seals Wembley Thriller as Texans Edge Jaguars 34-31

Anthropic IPO: Public S-1 Filing Expected Today Ahead of $2 Trillion Listing

Netflix Beats Earnings but Slashes Ad Forecast — Stock Tumbles After Hours