Jamaat-e-Islami announces nationwide strike over petroleum levy

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a nationwide shutter-down strike following 12th Rabi ul Awal, scheduled for August 26, to protest the federal government’s petroleum levy and rising inflation.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated that the party’s protests, which have been ongoing for eight days in provincial capitals including Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar, will escalate into a long march toward Islamabad. The party is demanding a reduction in petroleum product prices and criticizing the government for failing to address the cost-of-living crisis, including the high prices of flour, sugar, and fertilizer.

Rehman emphasized that the sit-ins will not conclude based on mere government assurances, asserting that the protests will only end when demands are implemented in practical terms. The agitation comes amid heightened public concern over fuel costs, electricity bills, and the impact of global oil price volatility on domestic inflation.