JI Chief Announces Lahore March Against Fuel, Power Costs
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Saturday announced that his party would march towards the Chief Minister House Punjab in Lahore on Sunday, intensifying its protest campaign over inflation, taxation and utility costs. The announcement comes as the party seeks to turn public frustration over household expenses into a wider political mobilisation.
According to the party chief, the protest sit-in outside the Chief Minister House will begin at 4:00pm. He also said parallel sit-ins would be organised outside Governor Houses in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar, signalling that the campaign is being planned as a coordinated national pressure move rather than a one-city demonstration.
Hafiz Naeem said the sit-ins would continue until the party’s demands were accepted. His remarks focused heavily on the burden faced by salaried citizens, arguing that ordinary taxpayers were being pressed while powerful groups continued to enjoy privileges and protections.
In his statement, the Jamaat-e-Islami leader criticised what he described as an unfair economic structure. He said the salaried class was being taxed to fund benefits for select sections, while independent power producers and other influential segments were not being made to contribute in the same way.
The party chief also linked high petroleum prices with the wider rise in living costs. He claimed that petrol and diesel prices had reached levels that were feeding inflation across the economy, affecting transport, food, electricity and everyday essentials for households already under pressure.
Energy costs have remained a central issue in Pakistan’s political debate for several years. Power tariffs, fuel levies, capacity payments and the role of independent power producers have repeatedly drawn criticism from opposition parties, business groups and citizen movements, especially during periods of sharp inflation.
Jamaat-e-Islami has previously used protest politics to build pressure around electricity bills and fuel prices. Hafiz Naeem claimed that earlier phases of the party’s movement had contributed to a reduction in electricity bills, while questioning why the power system was not being improved despite increased generation capacity.
The planned Lahore march could create administrative and political challenges for the Punjab government if large crowds gather near the Chief Minister House. Similar sit-ins in other provincial capitals may also test local security arrangements, traffic management and the government’s willingness to engage with the party’s demands.
The next step will depend on whether the government opens talks with Jamaat-e-Islami before Sunday’s protest or allows the demonstrations to proceed. If the sit-ins continue for an extended period, the issue could gain further political momentum around fuel prices, taxation and the cost of electricity across Pakistan.