The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) initiated a widespread protest campaign on Friday targeting the petroleum levy, electricity tariffs, and escalating inflation across Pakistan. Demonstrations and road blockades disrupted traffic in several key cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Abbottabad.
Following a call by JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, party members took to the streets to stage peaceful protests, obstructing major roads and highways. Hafiz Naeem declared that protests would be held at 510 locations nationwide, covering Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
These demonstrations aim to express public dissatisfaction with the government’s recent hike in petroleum prices, the imposition of the petroleum levy, increased electricity tariffs, and the overall surge in the cost of living. Hafiz Naeem emphasized the public’s frustration with inflation and criticized the government’s economic policies, assuring that all protests would be conducted peacefully.
He directed protestors to allow ambulances and patients to pass freely at demonstration sites and cautioned authorities against attempting to suppress the protests, warning that such actions could escalate tensions. Demanding an immediate reduction in petrol prices and the removal of the petroleum levy, Hafiz Naeem urged workers to remain at protest venues as the party plans to announce further steps.
Protests led to road blockades in several cities. In Islamabad, JI workers staged a sit-in at Motorway Chowk (26 Number Chungi), severely disrupting traffic and stranding commuters heading to Islamabad International Airport. The demonstration saw caravans converging via Srinagar Highway, with JI deputy chief Liaqat Baloch leading the protest against the petroleum levy and inflation.
Similarly, in Abbottabad, the Karakoram Highway was completely blocked by JI activists, halting traffic flow. Karachi witnessed protests in multiple areas, resulting in the closure of several main roads including Sharea Faisal, which was targeted as part of the campaign. A reception camp was established at Nursery, where a renovated bus stop served as a base for a rally towards Sharea Faisal. Protest caravans departed from various parts of Karachi at 4pm, converging at Mazar-e-Quaid before marching to Sharea Faisal.
Additional protests in Karachi included blockades on Hub River Road led by MPA Muhammad Farooq, near Karachi Airport, and at Sharea Faisal near Natha Khan. Traffic on Sharea Orangi was also suspended following a protest at Orangi Town No 5 Chowrangi, causing significant disruption. Police were deployed across Karachi to maintain order amidst the closures and traffic congestion.
The JI spokesperson confirmed that sit-ins and demonstrations were planned at hundreds of locations nationwide. Major protest sites include Qurtaba Chowk in Lahore, Sharea Faisal in Karachi, 26 Number Chungi in Islamabad, Mian Ghundi Chowk in Quetta, Peshawar Toll Plaza, Bosan Road in Multan, Indus Highway in Karak, CPEC Chowk in Bannu, and Chakdara Interchange. Provincial and district leadership are spearheading the demonstrations.
The spokesperson warned that should authorities attempt to halt the peaceful protests, the movement could expand to block 1,500 roads and highways across Pakistan.
JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar Khan reaffirmed that protests are ongoing on 510 major roads and highways, emphasizing that only ambulances would be allowed passage. He urged the public to join in large numbers and vowed to continue the agitation until the government repeals the petroleum levy and lowers fuel prices.
In Multan, a protest rally and sit-in were organized from Saidanwala Bypass to Chungi No 6, with a larger anti-inflation rally scheduled to commence at 5:30pm under the leadership of Syed Zeeshan Akhtar and Sohaib Ammar Siddiqui.
This nationwide campaign follows the government’s recent decision to raise petroleum prices and retain the petroleum levy, which has drawn widespread criticism from opposition parties and consumer groups amid ongoing inflation and rising electricity costs. Jamaat-e-Islami has indicated that unless the government reverses these measures and offers relief to consumers, the protests will intensify further.
