Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rahman, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami, has criticized the government for raising petrol prices instead of cutting down on its own lavish expenditures.
He pointed out that out of the current petrol price of Rs 458 per liter, Rs 200 is collected as tax.
Speaking at a public committees convention in Lahore, Naeem-ur-Rahman said the price hike was not inevitable. “If a person consumes one liter of petrol, Rs 200 goes directly to the government as tax,” he explained.
He announced that the party would launch a large public outreach campaign in the coming days to raise awareness about the issue.
He criticized the taxation system, saying that poor and middle-class citizens collectively pay hundreds of billions of rupees in taxes, while wealthy landowners contribute only around Rs 10 billion annually. “The rulers are not willing to make any sacrifices for themselves,” he added.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief emphasized the need for fair taxation and relief for ordinary citizens burdened by rising fuel costs.
