Business Recorder
KARACHI: Central Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Saturday called for a substantial reduction in fuel oil prices, lower electricity tariffs for industry, and freeze gas prices for at least three years, saying the measures were essential to ease the burden on common man. Addressing a press conference at Idara Noor-i-Haq, Hafiz Naeem said petrol should be brought down to Rs250 per litre, a cut of Rs122 from the current rate, saying the existing reduction of Rs22 per litre fell well short of what was needed. He said industrial electricity tariffs should be fixed at nine cents per unit, in line with the regional average, and that gas prices should be significantly reduced and held steady for three years to give businesses and consumers a stable ground. The JI chief said the petroleum levy, originally introduced to fund upgrades in refinery capacity, should be withdrawn given what he described as extraordinary economic conditions, particularly since no meaningful progress had been made toward that goal. He announced that the party would present detailed budget proposals in Islamabad on June 3. Among the key demands, he called for the income tax exemption threshold to be raised so that individuals earning up to Rs125000 per month would pay no tax in the next budget. He noted that salaried workers contributed Rs605 billion in taxes last year while feudal landowners paid less than Rs12 billion — a disparity he said needed urgent correction. Rehman also called for a fresh review of agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), saying consumers had paid approximately Rs1.8 trillion over the past year for electricity that was never generated. He said the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project had seen no practical progress despite four years of the current government being in power. On civic matters, the JI chief said Karachi’s long-running problems — water shortages, inadequate sanitation and failing infrastructure — could only be addressed through a genuinely empowered local government system. He said more than half of the megacity was facing severe water shortages and that residents were left dependent on water tankers. He said both the Water and Sewerage Board and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board had not fulfilled their responsibilities, leaving town administrations to fill the gap. He added that the state of sanitation services during Eidul Azha had been particularly poor. He said that Pakistan needed people-centred economic policies, transparent governance and a serious effort to end corruption in order to move forward. He was critical of the management of the Benazir Income Support Programme and said the outsourcing of government schools in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa pointed to a broader failure in public education delivery. On international affairs, the JI chief said Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza amounted to war crimes, with unarmed Palestinians killed in violation of existing agreements, and that the United States continued to back Israel despite international concern. He said voices calling for human rights protections were being suppressed in various parts of the world. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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