JI Sit-Ins Disrupt Karachi Traffic as Levy Protest Escalates

KARACHI: Jamaat-i-Islami’s nationwide protest campaign against the petroleum levy created major traffic disruption in Karachi on Friday, as sit-ins spread across several key routes and forced commuters to deal with diversions, slow movement and blocked roads. The protests formed part of the party’s broader pressure drive against fuel-linked taxation and inflation.

The demonstrations affected some of the city’s busiest corridors, including Sharea Faisal, Super Highway, Hub River Road, National Highway and areas around Mazar-i-Quaid and Numaish Chowrangi. Traffic authorities had earlier warned citizens that protest activity could cause partial closures and urged travellers to avoid affected locations unless necessary.

According to updates shared by Jamaat-i-Islami’s Karachi chapter, party workers gathered at different announced locations and blocked selected routes as part of the coordinated campaign. The road leading toward Natha Khan from Sharea Faisal was among the affected points, while movement toward the airport from the Nursery side was also reportedly disrupted.

The party has linked the protests to its demand for the withdrawal of the petroleum levy, arguing that fuel-related charges are worsening pressure on households, public transport users and small businesses. JI had earlier announced plans to hold sit-ins at hundreds of locations across the country, positioning the campaign as a public resistance movement against rising living costs.

Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed criticised the road blockades and said Karachi’s citizens should not be made to suffer over a federal policy issue. She argued that the petroleum levy fell within the federal government’s domain and accused Jamaat-i-Islami of using public inconvenience for political mileage rather than raising the matter through parliamentary channels.

Javed also questioned how emergency movement, including ambulances and patients travelling to hospitals, could remain unaffected when major arteries were blocked. She said authorities would not permit damage to public property or unlawful road closures under the cover of protest politics.

The protests were not limited to Karachi. JI workers also gathered in other cities, including Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta, as the party attempted to turn its anti-levy campaign into a national mobilisation. In Lahore, demonstrators blocked Qurtaba Chowk, while in Islamabad, party leaders and trade representatives addressed protesters at Chungi No. 26.

The Karachi disruption highlights the political sensitivity of fuel pricing in Pakistan, where changes in petroleum costs quickly influence transport fares, freight charges and the prices of essential goods. Even when the levy is framed as a fiscal measure, its street-level impact is felt by commuters, traders and wage earners who already face pressure from inflation.

For the city, the immediate concern is whether the protests remain peaceful and whether traffic police can keep alternative routes functional during further demonstrations. The next phase will depend on the government’s response to JI’s demand and whether the party continues road-based mobilisation if the petroleum levy remains in place.