ISLAMABAD: Following an appeal by Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a large protest demonstration was held in Islamabad demanding a reduction in petroleum product prices.
The protest was attended by a large number of Jamaat-e-Islami workers and members of the public, who called on the government to fix the price of petrol at Rs225 per litre for the next three years.
Addressing the gathering, Engineer Nasrullah Randhawa said the strong public participation reflected widespread anger over rising fuel prices and economic hardships. He criticized the imposition of the petroleum levy, describing it as an unfair burden on low-income citizens.
Randhawa argued that those responsible for determining fuel prices enjoy government-funded benefits, including official transport, electricity, gas, and housing, while ordinary citizens bear the increasing cost of living. He pledged that Jamaat-e-Islami, under the leadership of Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, would continue to raise its voice for public relief.
He further claimed that billions of rupees collected through the petroleum levy are being used to make payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), alleging that consumers are being forced to bear the cost of capacity payments and mounting public debt.
Randhawa said that petrol priced at Rs225 per litre would still cover all necessary costs and questioned why neighboring countries are able to provide fuel at lower rates. He reiterated the party’s demand that petrol prices be fixed at Rs225 per litre for three years, rejecting the current price level of around Rs299 per litre.
The protest concluded with participants urging the government to provide immediate relief to the public by reducing fuel prices and reviewing petroleum-related taxes and levies.
