JI Leadership Issues Escalation Warning
Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned that the party will expand its ongoing sit-ins into a nationwide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike after 12th Rabiul Awwal, identified as August 26, unless the government abolishes the petroleum levy. As reported by Dawn and The Nation, Rehman said the party could also march on Islamabad on foot if its demands go unmet. He described the levy as an “extortionary tax” and stated that consumers pay around Rs80 per litre under it.
Dawn reported that Rehman spoke at a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, while The Nation placed the address in Lahore. In both accounts he made clear that the campaign would not end on the basis of assurances alone and that protests would be called off only when demands were practically accepted. “This is not a protest for a few days. We have not come here to leave,” he said while addressing a sit-in outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s House in Lahore, according to Dawn. He added that those wishing to negotiate should come directly to the protesters rather than expecting JI leaders to attend government briefings in the capital.
Demands Centred on Fuel Prices and Levy Abolition
Rehman urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reduce petrol and diesel prices by Rs130 and called for petrol to be brought down to Rs225 per litre. Dawn noted that the government had on Wednesday cut the high-speed diesel price by Rs32.63 per litre while raising petrol by Rs2.97 per litre. The JI leader argued that the petroleum levy, originally introduced to finance refinery upgrades, had raised more than Rs8 trillion from consumers while less than Rs100 billion was spent on those upgrades.
Protesters are also demanding cheaper electricity, a review of independent power producer agreements and an end to what Rehman termed elite privileges. He recalled an earlier JI campaign against IPPs in which party workers faced tear gas before negotiations led to the shutdown of five plants, which he said saved the national exchequer Rs3.36 trillion. He maintained that 73 IPPs still require review and that successful talks could lower electricity prices within 12 to 18 months. According to him, IPPs have been paid for electricity that was never generated, with the cost shifted to consumers.
Sit-ins Continue in Major Cities
Sit-ins are under way outside governors’ houses and other official residences in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. Dawn described the protests as having entered their second day, with thousands participating despite intense heat and spending the night on The Mall at Charing Cross in Lahore. The Nation reported the actions as entering their eighth day. Both outlets noted that the gatherings have drawn traders, religious scholars, youth and civil-society members. Rehman announced that women would join the Lahore sit-in from Tuesday and said he would address the Lahore gathering on Thursday, with a public meeting planned at the Karachi venue on Friday. He stated that the party would establish protest camps across the country in support of the campaign.
Rehman said the sit-ins represented the grievances of Pakistan’s 250 million people and that voices for truth and justice were being heard across all four provinces. He rejected any suggestion that the party would travel to Islamabad for talks, insisting that officials come to the protest sites. “Those who want to talk should come here,” he said, promising they would be received with respect.
Wider Criticisms of Governance and Economy
Beyond the levy, Rehman criticised what he called excessive privileges of the ruling elite and said Pakistan’s total debt had risen to Rs98 trillion. He called for the elimination of interest-based financing and proposed austerity measures that would limit government vehicles to engines of no more than 1,300cc. He faulted the Federal Board of Revenue, stating that its 25,000 employees had failed to meet targets and that annual corruption in the organisation exceeded Rs1.3 trillion.
The JI emir also targeted flour and sugar mafias, high fertiliser costs that burden farmers, and the use of expensive vehicles by officials. He criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party for what he described as damage to Sindh and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for ruling Punjab without resolving structural problems. Specifically, he faulted Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s education policy for outsourcing 11,000 schools, saying, “If you cannot run the education system, this is your failure.” He questioned an allocation of Rs11 billion linked to the prime minister’s niece while the petroleum levy remained in force.
Rehman further demanded the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and all political prisoners, describing restrictions on Khan’s medical treatment as “fascism.” Present at one of the press conferences, according to Dawn, were JI Vice-Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi.
Party Stance on Negotiations and Next Steps
Rehman emphasised that the abolition of the levy was “not a matter of our ego; it is a matter concerning the people.” He said the party’s campaign was progressing effectively and that the government would ultimately have to reduce petroleum prices. The Nation quoted him as warning that no one could prevent a march on Islamabad and that JI workers stood ready to make sacrifices. Both Dawn and The Nation portrayed the threatened nationwide shutdown and potential foot march as the next phase if the government fails to respond after 12th Rabiul Awwal.
The protests remain focused on the petroleum levy, electricity costs, IPP contracts and elite privileges, with JI leadership framing the actions as a broader public movement rather than a short-term demonstration.