JI Sit-Ins Against Petroleum Levy Enter Second Day

Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest campaign against the petroleum levy entered its second day on Monday, August 17, with sit-ins continuing outside key government locations in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. The party has linked the demonstrations to rising fuel prices and has vowed to keep pressure on the government until its demands are accepted.

According to the latest details, protesters remained outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s House in Lahore, while similar gatherings continued outside the Governor Houses in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. The demonstrations have been organised as part of a coordinated nationwide campaign focused on the financial burden faced by ordinary citizens.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman addressed a press conference at the Lahore protest site and said the sit-ins would continue peacefully. He urged citizens to join the demonstrations and publicly reject what he described as an unacceptable petroleum levy imposed on the public.

Hafiz Naeem said his party was presenting the case of Pakistan’s 250 million people and argued that fuel prices had been increased under the cover of wartime pressure and International Monetary Fund conditions. He demanded that petrol prices be brought down to Rs225 per litre, saying the government must provide direct relief to households already struggling with inflation.

The JI leader also referred to the government’s decision to form a committee for briefing and talks. He said his party was ready to host the committee in Lahore, but stressed that the protest was not designed for personal or partisan gain and was instead being carried out for the public.

In Karachi, Jamaat-e-Islami announced that a large number of women would join the sit-in outside the Governor House at 3pm. The move is expected to broaden the visibility of the protest and reinforce the party’s message that rising fuel costs affect families, transport users, workers and small businesses across the country.

JI Karachi chief Munem Zafar also called on the government to immediately reduce petroleum prices. He said removing the inflationary burden from common citizens should be a basic responsibility of the state, especially when fuel prices directly influence transport fares, food costs and household expenses.

The latest phase of protest comes at a time when fuel pricing remains one of Pakistan’s most politically sensitive economic issues. Any increase in petrol or diesel costs quickly spreads through the wider economy, affecting freight charges, public transport, agricultural input costs and the prices of daily-use items.

For the government, the sit-ins create a direct political challenge because petroleum levy revenue is tied to fiscal management, while public anger over inflation remains high. For Jamaat-e-Islami, the campaign provides a platform to mobilise supporters around an economic issue that resonates beyond party lines.

The next step will depend on whether the government’s committee opens meaningful engagement with the party and whether the protests expand in size or duration. Until then, the sit-ins are likely to remain a major political and public-pressure point in Pakistan’s ongoing debate over fuel prices and inflation relief.