[REVISION HISTORY]

Pakistan fuel price and petroleum levy protests

Updated 19 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-09-24 17:07 UTC → 2026-09-27 03:09 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the failure of five rounds of negotiations, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) launched a ‘super train march’ from Karachi toward Islamabad to demand the complete withdrawal of the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL). While the government has reportedly proposed abolishing the levy for one year as a potential breakthrough to halt the march, JI maintains that protests will continue until the tax is fully withdrawn. As the march reached Multan and Ghotki, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman to postpone the protest. The Prime Minister offered to meet with the JI leader upon his return to Pakistan to discuss a better relief package. However, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman rejected the government’s previously announced relief package, stating it is “not acceptable in any way.” The JI claims the petroleum levy has placed a “Rs135 billion burden on the public” and is also protesting agreements with independent power producers. In response to the movement, security in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has been significantly heightened. Authorities have positioned approximately 1,000 cargo containers at major intersections and sensitive areas, including the Red Zone. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi warned that attempting to storm Islamabad would result in “severe consequences.” Recently, JI Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch announced a public rally in Lahore for September 25, where the party’s roadmap for the long march will be unveiled. While the march has been postponed to October following government assurances, preparations for a route from Multan to Lahore and then to Islamabad are ongoing. Baloch specifically rejected the petroleum levy of 107 rupees per liter, demanding its removal within the framework of the IMF agreement, and has submitted six economic proposals to the government, including reducing the policy rate to 9 percent. JI leadership has since intensified its stance.

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