JI plans August 16 sit‑ins in all provincial capitals to demand removal of petroleum levy and curb inflation.

Jamaat‑i‑Islami Pakistan (JI) has decided to intensify its campaign against the petroleum levy and inflation by staging sit‑ins on August 16 in all four provincial capitals. The plan was approved at a special meeting of the party’s central and provincial office‑bearers, chaired by chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, in Mansoora on Saturday. Rehman said the sit‑ins would take place outside the Punjab Chief Minister’s house in Lahore and the governor’s houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan. The party’s youth and women wings will also join a series of Independence Day activities on August 14 to mobilise supporters. JI claims that the nationwide protest on August 15, which involved more than 510 organised and peaceful demonstrations across the country, gave the movement new direction and momentum. The party said the public had rejected the levy and wants petrol prices cut to Rs225 per litre. The party chief blamed the ruling elite for pushing ordinary citizens into an inflationary crisis while maintaining perks such as free fuel and electricity for government officials. He added that even people earning below the taxable threshold are effectively taxed through higher fuel prices. Rehman also referenced the party’s earlier campaign that forced the government to negotiate with independent power producers, which led to a reduction in electricity prices before negotiations halted. A day earlier, several major avenues in Karachi were blocked for sit‑ins as part of the nationwide demonstration. Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed responded that the petroleum levy is a federal matter and criticised JI for using the protest for political gain. The party described the recently signed defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey as a positive development for the Muslim world, calling for broader cooperation among Islamic countries.