ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious party on Tuesday said it would proceed with its planned march to the capital in mid-November to protest the government’s petroleum levy, amid rising fuel prices in the country.

The announcement by JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman came after his meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who Rehman said had sought seven to 10 days to announce a relief for the masses.

Pakistan’s government levies Rs114 [$0.41] per liter in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 [$0.36] per liter on diesel. In recent months, the exorbitant levy has sparked protests across the country, amid multiple hikes in fuel prices due to Gulf supply disruptions.

Rehman on Tuesday said that his party had presented alternative proposals to the government regarding providing relief to the public and abolishing the petroleum levy, adding that they aimed to bring the price of petrol down to Rs225 ($0.81) per liter.

“The government has sought seven days for relief; if the levy is not abolished, there will be a march to Islamabad in mid-November,” Rehman was quoted as saying by his party on X.

Pakistan’s government relies on the petroleum levy as a major source of non-tax revenue, with collections helping finance budgetary expenditures and meet fiscal targets agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The levy is imposed separately from the base price of petroleum products.

Fuel prices remain a politically sensitive issue in Pakistan, where higher transportation and energy costs quickly feed into inflation and increase the cost of living. Opposition parties have repeatedly organized demonstrations against fuel price hikes, while the government has defended the levy as necessary to stabilize the economy and sustain fiscal reforms.

Pakistan raised petrol and diesel prices effective Tuesday, keeping both fuels more than 40 percent above their pre-war levels. Petrol now costs Rs379.25 ($1.37) per liter, while high-speed diesel is priced at Rs395.82 ($1.43), according to a Petroleum Division notification issued on Monday evening. Each increased by less than one US cent per liter.

Rehman’s party has held major demonstrations over petroleum levy since Aug. this year. Last month, the party led a march toward the capital, Islamabad, but Rehman asked his supporters in Multan to disperse following what he called a request by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to temporarily halt the march.

“If the government does not announce a relief package and does not make progress toward abolishing the levy, we will have to sit on the roads,” Rehman was quoted as saying on Tuesday.