JI Announces Nationwide Sit-Ins Against Petroleum Levy
KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami on Friday announced a fresh wave of nationwide sit-ins against the petroleum levy and rising inflation, with its Karachi leadership outlining protest plans for major roads and highways across the country. The announcement comes as public frustration over fuel-linked costs continues to grow and political parties seek to build pressure on the government over household affordability.
JI Karachi chief Munim Zafar said demonstrations would be staged at 510 key locations, including highways and major urban routes. The party has presented the protest campaign as a public response to the financial strain caused by high fuel costs, transport expenses and broader inflationary pressure affecting working and middle-income families.
According to the protest plan, sit-ins are expected in major cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar. In Karachi, protest caravans are scheduled to move from Shahrah-e-Pakistan, Hub Road, National Highway and Super Highway, while additional rallies will begin from Orangi, Korangi, Pakistan Chowk and Sher Shah.
Munim Zafar said roads would remain closed during the demonstrations but added that ambulances and other emergency services would be given priority passage. He urged citizens to take part in the campaign, arguing that collective public mobilisation was necessary to press the government to withdraw the petroleum levy.
The Karachi protest plan also includes a convergence point at Mazar-e-Quaid, from where a larger demonstration is expected to proceed towards Shahrah-e-Faisal. The route is politically and administratively significant because Shahrah-e-Faisal is one of Karachi’s busiest corridors, linking residential areas, commercial districts, the airport road network and key government movement routes.
Jamaat-e-Islami has repeatedly criticised indirect taxation and fuel-linked levies, saying they increase the cost of transport, food distribution and essential services. The party’s latest mobilisation appears designed to turn economic pressure into street-level political momentum, particularly in large urban centres where inflation and commuting costs are felt sharply.
The petroleum levy has become a central issue in Pakistan’s inflation debate because changes in fuel prices are quickly reflected in freight, public transport fares and daily-use goods. Even when international oil prices shift, domestic consumers often focus on the combined effect of taxes, levies and exchange-rate pressures on final pump prices.
For Karachi, the sit-ins could create major traffic disruptions if protest caravans block arteries such as the National Highway, Super Highway and Shahrah-e-Faisal. Businesses, office workers, transporters and daily wage earners may face delays, while authorities will be under pressure to maintain order without escalating tensions with demonstrators.
The broader impact will depend on the scale of participation across the 510 announced locations and the government’s response to the protest demand. If the sit-ins gain momentum, the petroleum levy could return to the centre of national political debate, forcing policymakers to balance revenue needs with mounting public anger over inflation.
The next few hours will be crucial as protest caravans begin moving in Karachi and other cities. Law enforcement agencies, traffic authorities and party organisers will be closely watched to see whether the demonstrations remain peaceful and whether the campaign continues beyond Friday if the levy is not withdrawn.