JI Fuel Relief Rejection: Party Vows March On Islamabad

Jamaat-e-Islami – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The JI fuel relief rejection has taken center stage after the party turned down the government’s new fuel discount plan. Jamaat-e-Islami leaders said the scheme cannot replace their core demand, which is the full removal of the petroleum levy.

The statement came after a high-level meeting in Islamabad. JI’s team sat down with three government ministers, including Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, and Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani.

JI Deputy Emir Liaqat Baloch spoke to the media once the talks ended. He said both sides discussed independent power producers and the petroleum levy in detail during the session.

Baloch made JI’s stance very clear. He said the levy must go completely, adding that scrapping it could bring down petrol prices by Rs103 per litre for ordinary people.

He also had a strong message for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Baloch said their planned march toward Islamabad will still go ahead as scheduled, calling the government’s relief plan nothing more than a distraction.

JI had already announced this march for September 20. The protest is aimed directly at pressuring the government over the petroleum levy issue.

Interestingly, the government’s own statement painted a softer picture. It claimed JI had welcomed the fuel relief steps while still asking for a long-term fix to the underlying problems.

During the meeting, officials gave JI a full briefing on fuel supply and pricing. They explained how petrol prices are set using a seven-day rolling average system.

Petroleum Minister Malik defended the government’s approach. He said targeted subsidies are already reaching motorcycle riders, rickshaw drivers, and small car owners who need help the most.

Malik added that these targeted subsidies work better than a blanket levy cut. He also said fuel supplies stayed steady even during the recent crisis period.

Minister Kayani spoke about a different part of the plan. He said the government is working to widen the tax base and push more people toward direct taxation instead of indirect levies.

All three ministers gave JI one assurance before wrapping up. They promised to pass every recommendation from the meeting directly to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

This entire back and forth follows PM Shehbaz’s fuel relief launch on Sunday. Under that plan, motorcyclists and rickshaw owners get a Rs100 discount per litre on up to 20 litres monthly.

Small car owners are not left out either. Vehicles up to 800cc can claim the same Rs100 discount, but on up to 30 litres of petrol every month.

Despite these numbers, JI is not backing down. The party insists that only a complete end to the petroleum levy can offer real and lasting relief to the public.

With the September 20 march still on the calendar, tension between JI and the government looks set to grow. All eyes are now on whether PM Shehbaz will respond before the deadline arrives.