JI urges parliament to abolish petroleum levy

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has pressed MPs across all parties to pass a law that would strip the government of its power to set the petroleum levy, according to The Express Tribune. He contends that handing this authority to the executive weakens parliament's constitutional role. He has also called on lawmakers to present a united front against rising inflation.

Writing to party chiefs and members, he said the levy is weighing on food, farming, transport and manufacturing. He suggested that any revenue gap from a lower levy could be covered by reducing unnecessary public spending and stopping financial irregularities. Parties, he added, should agree a joint plan to ease the inflation burden on citizens and scrap the levy.

On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he cautioned that governor's rule and emergency measures across 12 districts could deepen a political crisis already under way. He urged all parties to unite in protecting the constitution and democratic order in the province. Those problems, he said, should be settled within the framework of the law and democratic principles.