Demand for Reduction in Petroleum Prices and Abolition of Levies

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Thank you to all the friends from the media for coming. You were called on very short notice. Actually, there are ongoing programs. You saw I was here in Lahore yesterday, but there were two gatherings last night, one in Mardan and one in Peshawar, and both of those rallies were of a very impressive kind. Basically, they staged a sit-in, and it became that rally. These were very powerful shows, and it indicates that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whether it is the whole of Punjab, Sindh, or Balochistan, the entire Pakistan, thank God, has created an amazing momentum. The march that we are starting from tomorrow, which begins in Karachi, in it, God willing, a large number of people will participate.

Our agenda is very clear: we want the price of petroleum to decrease and that the levy on it be abolished. We call it extortion tax, goonda tax, and we are absolutely right in calling it that. The reason is that there is no justification for this in circumstances where prices are high in the global market and there is the torment of inflation in Pakistan. If people’s lives have become difficult, if it has become hard to earn two meals a day, this kind of extortion tax is imposed by the government to cover up its incompetence. This levy tax is being collected because of the government’s corruption and incompetence.

A veil should be drawn. The name being taken is that of the IMF, claiming that it is due to the IMF that there is compulsion. The reality is that the tax targets are not being met by the FBR staff; they are engaging in corruption. The government is not reducing its expenses and not stopping its extravagances, not refraining from taking its planes and not refraining from taking its cars. There are large vehicles parked. Symbolically, they mention some things to you, but in practice, nothing is ready to provide relief to the people, and they are not ready to give up their luxuries. So when this government machinery cannot fit entirely in a small vehicle, the government vehicles are like private cars, they cannot give up free petrol and free electricity. These are their expenses.

Now you see that the federal government's expenses have exceeded one trillion. What was eight hundred billion has increased to one trillion. So now you tell me that you are increasing your expenses by twenty-five to thirty percent and telling the nation to make sacrifices. In these circumstances, make sacrifices when prices are so high.

The second thing is that those who set the price of petrol, in this too, there is another duty that goes to the government; it is called customs duty. So customs duty, climate support levy, and petroleum levy all together amount to one hundred six, one hundred seven rupees. In addition, there are further dealer charges and then transportation, and so on, and then refineries, then oil marketing companies. There was only one thing that came before the nation and that was that imported oil and local oil were charging the same price. So you can imagine the various ways in which the process of robbing people is ongoing. They cannot end their corruption and plundering.

When negotiations take place with them, they say that you should give us a proposal, although giving proposals is not our job. Their job is to provide relief to people and to remove this extortion tax from people. However, despite this, we have also given them proposals, and they have no argument to reject it. This policy rate, which you call the interest rate, if reduced by even three percent, will equal the amount of levy being collected. So if we reduce this interest by three percent—no, we are not doing that because we cannot. The IMF says that the bank is independent, this and that; these are all lame excuses, they are nothing. Because how can the central bank be autonomous? Who hires and fires its governor? Who forms its board? The government gives, the government hires. And if you say that we made it autonomous under the law, then you made that law, didn't you? Parliament, you say these things to deceive people, to make their lives miserable.

Inflation continues to rise, making it difficult for every person to live. And then when there is more noise, you provide a relief package that neither you understand, nor the dealers understand, nor the people understand. This is Pakistan. If there are two and a half million motorcycles, how many people have their registration done before two thousand eleven? They will not receive it. How many people are riding their brother's or friend's bike because they do not transfer it? This is the system that has been established here. So how many people will receive relief? And how much? Five hundred rupees a week, and by giving this you think you are donating? This cannot be the case.

That is why the campaign started by Jamaat-e-Islami, thank God, is the voice of every heart. Everyone is standing behind it, all of Pakistan is with us. People have said various things, but now everyone understands how important it is to end this levy. And now we want all the people to come together to maintain and increase this pressure so that as a result, the people of Pakistan receive relief.

From tomorrow, God willing, we will start our march. During this time, we found out that the government has contacted again and said that they want to talk to us. We have talked to them a lot; one meeting, two meetings, three meetings, four meetings, and all kinds of discussions have taken place. And in every meeting, they say the same thing: to give us two days' time, we will do some work and bring it back. Despite all this, we consulted with each other and decided that if the government has an announcement to abolish the levy and can inform us in a tangible way, then we have no desire to carry out all this work. Please fulfill the reason we are here for. But it cannot be that you do not end the levy compensation and just make verbal promises that we will tell tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in ten days, and we request you to end your march. If this does not happen, then if the government's team comes, it will come with some proposal, and then there will be a discussion. And if there is no proposal, then there will be no discussion.

So, Liaquat Baloch, God willing, we will heat this up. If the government's team comes, our message is very straightforward that these charitable reliefs are not for you, which you have become accustomed to. In fact, this entire family or these rulers have gotten into the habit of announcing charitable packages, deceiving the people. This has been the ongoing trend from the Plate Taxi scheme to today. Clearly, a few people benefit from everything, a few percent get some kind of relief. But when it comes to the relief of millions of people in Pakistan, you rob them of it. That relief is not just relief; it is a right.

There is a severe sugar crisis and the owners of sugar mills, who are actually people from the ruling class, including Zardari, the Sharif family, the Tareen family, and others related to their government, they have sugar mills. They sit some people down as the same owners and they demand that we should now be allowed to export. They demand that we be allowed to import, in which their taxes become tax-free, but they will not eliminate the levy charge.

The margin capacity payment for IPPs has been discussed, it is done, and now the conversation is not progressing further. Although we have continuously demanded this, held sit-ins, and protested, the government did take some action and there was some benefit, but now the process has stalled.

So the 1800 billion rupees of capacity payments, the nation is still paying. Now why should these be paid? In these circumstances, the amount acquired through regasification on such a large scale, even when there is no gas.

Even when electricity does not come, they are still receiving money. Why should this be given? Why should the capacity payment for transmission lines be paid? Why should a few people be rewarded? Why should the public not be provided with convenience? This levy should be abolished and the price of petrol should be reduced.

The increase in petrol prices is three, four, five times in the region. So, what is all this spectacle? If this spectacle is to continue like this and completely ruin people, then where will the situation go after that?

Therefore, this is a very serious and grave public issue for us. We are protesting against it; today is the thirty-fifth day of the sit-ins, and even now, there are at least twenty to twenty-five sit-ins ongoing across Pakistan.

And when we announced the start of this march, it is clear that a strategy has been devised. We have just announced Plan A; I am going to Karachi, and there will also be a big rally today.

And then after that, the march will start from tomorrow, and along with that, we have all the plans in place. I would like to request the government that the Jamaat-e-Islami has kept these thirty-five days of protests peaceful.

We have made history. In the history of Pakistan, it has never happened that sit-ins are taking place in forty-two cities and continuous rallies are happening. There are large protests, and no one is in any discomfort; rather, people feel a relief that someone is becoming our voice.

So when we are peaceful, no adventure will burden the government. Any adventure will weigh heavily on the government; they will not be able to afford it. Threats can block the way, so let’s see if this desire can also be fulfilled.

So we will march and we will do it with full strength, God willing, and we are doing it with the support of the people. We are doing it for the people; there is no personal agenda of ours, no party agenda, no leader's agenda.

Our agenda is a fundamental issue for the people, we have raised it, and we have worked seriously on it. And you cannot back down, that is why we will protest.

You have a proposal with the government, so bring the proposal. If it benefits the public and ends the extortion, then fine. If this proposal is not like that, then it's okay, we will proceed according to our program.

God willing, and if Allah wills, if the government is not complying in a proper manner, then it will comply as a result of public pressure. It will have to comply, God willing. You should ask the one who has this contradiction.

So it negates the freedoms that are obtained in democracy and the constitution. So we are completely straightforward and we can guarantee our full presence, we provide that, we are present. The rest is that we have no personal agenda either, we are talking about a public issue.

So this question should be asked of the one to whom it pertains. Now, peace and blessings be upon him, I do not know what their plan is. Our plan for PTI is very clear that we will start a march and move forward with this march.

The time it takes will be taken, and the public will join in. The people from all four provinces will come together, and we will reach Islamabad, God willing. Our plan is with us; we will share the PTI's plan, and it is obviously the government's job.

Why are people forced to protest? When you do not give them freedoms, when you do not constitutionally grant rights, then parties protest. At least in the case of Jamaat-e-Islami, you know that we have no agenda, just our freedom. We are addressing a public issue that is a madness.

You said that the government is from the government, so I clearly told you that if there is any proposal, then we will talk. Not only have they given a lot of clear advice, but they have also expressed their inability to do this, that they cannot do this. There is no argument; just saying that we could not do it does not change anything.

Now you see what happens with petroleum products. Today, the transporters have increased the rates by seven percent. So what do you think, is it just the issue of the petrol that we fill in our bikes? If transporters increase the rates by seven percent.

Flour is expensive, sugar is expensive, lentils are expensive. You impose it like this. And the worst part is that you.

We will not let go of the levy, why won't we let go? Brother, why don't you reduce the interest rate? Why don't you increase your cash reserves ratio? Why don't you end your luxuries? Nothing, nothing. Now Maryam Nawaz will even send a plane, just for eleven billion.

Nalani, do what has already happened. After that, at least they should do this. Look, it's a straightforward matter, right? This expresses a mindset. A ship has become a symbol, now everyone knows. Otherwise, these ships have been operating before as well.

They needed a good plane, so they took one. So this whole thing is going on, but when this got exposed, it became clear how much a visit from a Chief Minister costs the nation, so how much would a Prime Minister's visit cost. And then I had told you.

It is a PTA-led institution that had purchased twenty-six percent shares over the years, but the government still holds major shares. Twelve percent of it is likely public shares, and the rest are government shares. When they explained a meeting about it, it was likely published in the Tribune.

And there has been no denial of it yet. And he reported that when the question was asked of them, they mentioned that the chairman, along with the IT secretary of their board, was in a meeting.

And the company secretary, he took five thousand dollars. The members received one thousand dollars each for a meeting. So can you imagine, how much is eight thousand dollars? For just one meeting, they spend millions, millions of rupees, two to two million rupees.

Then if they have to go out, they are given business class, and cars are provided there. This is the state of the secretaries. So, this is a system of privilege, a class that exists.

This shouldn't happen, right? As far as I have told you, if the cost of petrol, electricity, and energy increases, then everything in life becomes expensive.

And then, while the mafias are already present, now you see that the farmers are not paid the full amount for wheat, and the public is not given cheap bread, and flour is not made cheap. Who gets the margin of thousands of rupees in between? The farmer.

He works hard, he labors, for him medicines are expensive, DAP is expensive, urea is expensive. He works hard to plant the crops and does not get the full rate, and the people of Pakistan do not get cheap bread, flour is extremely expensive, with a gap of two to three thousand.

The margin of four thousand that is in between, you can create eleven companies and have them sell wheat, and then they can bring it to the market as they wish. So what does this mean? That there will be a few hundred or twelve hundred people, right? In total, because of whom you have twenty-five.

They are putting millions of people in torment. Half of Pakistan's population is almost related to agriculture. Wheat is grown on a very large scale, so just think that this government is favoring a few people, and who are those few people? They are the ones who are allied with them.

Sugar and sugar prices keep rising. First, they ask for permission to import, then they ask for permission to export, and they are exempted from taxes. There might be just a few hundred people, you might be a thousand people altogether, so these few thousand are the same people who are also connected to flour, and they are also connected to sugar.

These are the same IPPs, these are the same bank mafias, similar people are in refineries, similar people who we protest against.

They will do it, it really depends on the government, they can do whatever they want. We will represent the public, God willing. Look, I had mentioned that we support the PTI's protest, as it is their constitutional democratic right to do so.

Protest peacefully. They also supported our protest that this is a serious issue, and the Islamic party that is protesting is supporting us. So far, that is all there is to it, and they should look at their own.

They announced relief on their own, this is a monthly relief of 26-27 billion rupees, while they are collecting 150 billion rupees in levy. So this is not relief at all, it is actually a lot of pain, a small relief, and only a few people benefit from it.

Certainly, a little is happening; we are not saying it is zero, but it is not solving the problem. The problem is not being solved; rather, look, the dealers are saying that we are unable to manage. Except for the big companies, the other dealers, the petrol pumps, are facing difficulties.

They are not accepting registrations before 2011, who are the people with over 800 cc? They are middle-class people, right? So now they are not addressing a large number of them at this time. Then those who are on diesel have no relief, nor on petrol.

Transport fares are becoming expensive, so who will provide relief in this? There is no relief here at all. This means that you have given such a small relief to a few percent of people, while you are running such a large awareness campaign. That has become millions and billions of rupees, but the relief provided is not as much as the campaigns that are run.

This is our demand that you will abolish the levy, this issue will be addressed. Then look at the global market, there is a sit-in, we are now calling off many sit-ins one by one, and converting in March.

We are also doing this, so this is part of our strategy. It cannot be that you keep going on the same thing. So we have previously increased protests, and they are still ongoing; it is evident that now we need to create momentum, and obviously, we need to build a complete momentum within the cities, so we will continue to call for it.

They are happening, but it is under a discipline. So we have done all this under a strategy. The second thing is that the government does not have a fee-saving issue. The point is that they should provide relief, just pure relief.

This is what should be said to them; when they were very young, news bulletins used to come on PTV, and it was always said that we will stop the corrupt with an iron hand.

We will not allow them to look at this with a dirty eye, and if they are not allowed to look there, then it is obvious that such things happen, ministers should say this.