JI intensifies protests over inflation, utility bills and taxes

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Friday escalated its criticism of the government’s economic policies, saying it would widen its protest campaign nationwide against higher electricity tariffs, fuel prices, what it described as favourable treatment for Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and inflation.

Speaking at a protest gathering in Ichhra, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the government had not transferred the benefit of lower global oil prices to the public. He alleged that substantial revenue had been collected through the petroleum levy without corresponding improvement in the country’s oil refining system.

He also said taxes were being imposed on people who lacked the capacity to pay them. According to Hafiz Naeem, steep electricity and gas bills, along with rising prices of essential goods, had created an unbearable burden for ordinary citizens.

The JI leader further accused successive governments of entering into unfair agreements with IPPs, alleging that power producers continued to receive payments even when electricity was not generated. He linked the party’s expanding protest drive to what he described as mounting public frustration over energy costs and inflation.

Criticism of education and transport policies

Hafiz Naeem also turned his criticism toward governance issues in Punjab. He claimed that more than 10 million children in the province were out of school and said the provincial government was outsourcing schools instead of strengthening the public education system.

He also criticised the condition of public transport in Lahore, claiming that several major roads in the city did not have an effective mass transit system. In addition, he accused the government of using public funds on publicity efforts and luxury spending while placing extra tax burdens on citizens.

According to the JI chief, both the bureaucracy and the political leadership continued to retain their privileges despite deteriorating economic conditions. His remarks formed part of the party’s broader attack on the government’s handling of inflation, taxation and public spending.

The protest in Ichhra was presented by the party as part of a larger mobilisation campaign that JI now plans to take to other parts of the country in the coming days.