Jamaat-e-Islami Rejects PM’s Rs100 Fuel Relief, Warns of Sept 20 Islamabad March

ISLAMABAD, September 15, 2026: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Naib Ameer Liaqat Baloch has said that the party completely rejects the Rs100 relief on petrol announced by the prime minister, insisting that it cannot replace the total abolition of petroleum levy.

Speaking to the media after the third round of talks between Jamaat-e-Islami’s negotiation team and the government team in Islamabad, Liaqat Baloch said the government would continue to face public pressure unless what he described as an extortion-like petroleum levy was fully withdrawn.

He warned that if the demand was not accepted, people from across the country would march towards Islamabad on September 20.

The Jamaat-e-Islami negotiation team was led by Liaqat Baloch. Other members included Syed Firasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa, Inayatullah Khan and Ziauddin Ansari. From the government side, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Energy Minister Awais Khan Leghari, Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, along with officials, briefed the participants.

Liaqat Baloch said detailed briefings were given during the meeting by task forces formed by the prime minister on petroleum prices and independent power producers. He said Federal Minister for Energy Awais Leghari informed the meeting about progress on the IPPs issue.

The JI leader made it clear that the party’s protest and its September 20 call had only one objective: complete abolition of petroleum levy. He said government officials’ briefings were being heard, but the party would not accept symbolic relief measures in place of its core demand.

According to Liaqat Baloch, the government was trying to divert the direction of public pressure, while genuine benefit to the people could come only through the elimination of petroleum levy. He said the public had been burdened with Rs130 in the form of levy and taxes, and real relief would be possible if this burden was reduced.

Criticising the ruling class, he said it was not prepared to give up its luxuries. He also alleged that individuals linked with the same political parties were part of the sugar mafia and were being continuously favoured.

Addressing the prime minister, Liaqat Baloch said the Islamabad march would take place on September 20 if the demands were not accepted. He said cosmetic relief steps were of no use to the people. He further alleged that the amount collected under the climate support levy had been misappropriated instead of being spent on its original purpose.

Referring to the briefing on IPPs, Liaqat Baloch said Federal Minister Awais Leghari and General Zafar informed the meeting that matters concerning 54 IPPs had been finalised, while 36 more IPPs were being brought to the final stage. He said the government had admitted that Rs4,600 billion had been saved through negotiations with IPPs.

He questioned why the benefit of such a major saving had not been passed on to the people. He said the briefing proved that the figures presented by Jamaat-e-Islami were being validated by the government’s own documents.

Liaqat Baloch reiterated that the government would not be able to avoid public pressure until the petroleum levy was fully abolished. He also repeated Jamaat-e-Islami’s demand for a complete end to severe loadshedding.