JI announces nationwide strike on Sept 3 against petroleum levy

JI announces nationwide strike on Sept 3 against petroleum levy.

Key points

• News Desk Published August 28, 2026 Updated August 28, 2026 12: 05am.
• Rehman reiterated that the JI's sit-in was aimed at securing the rights of Pakistan's 250 million individuals.
• Announcing the Sept 3 strike, Rehman remarked it would remain peaceful, stressing that "not even a flowerpot will be broken".
• Turning to the Pims tragedy, the JI chief attributed the deaths of the children to administration incompetence and negligence.
• The party chief pressed party workers and supporters to intensify their struggle, saying the administration was testing the patience of the individuals.

News Desk Published August 28, 2026 Updated August 28, 2026 12: 05am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Jamaat-I-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday confirmed a nationwide strike for Sept 3 against the petroleum levy, warning the administration that if relief was not provided to the individuals, the ongoing sit-in campaign could culminate in a long march on Islamabad.

"The rulers have neither a vision nor the ability to govern. Their only vision is to loot the individuals, " Rehman stated while addressing participants of the JI sit-in outside the Punjab chief minister's house in Lahore.

He remarked the protest movement was no longer confined to three cities, with sit-ins and demonstrations now being held in a number of parts of the country.

Notably, the party chief pressed party workers and supporters to intensify their struggle, saying the administration was testing the patience of the individuals. He additionally appealed to traders to backing the Sept 3 nationwide strike in the interest of public rights.

In practice, the JI chief remarked a major public gathering would be held in Faisalabad on Friday and indicated that the protest movement would be intensified over the next few days.

Announcing the Sept 3 strike, Rehman remarked it would remain peaceful, stressing that "not even a flowerpot will be broken". Nevertheless, he cautioned that the administration would have to accept the people's demands.

He remarked the JI's campaign was not limited to the ongoing sit-ins but was part of a broader struggle against independent power producers (IPPs), the petroleum levy and the flour mafia.

Rehman demanded the abolition of the petroleum levy and termination of what he called unjust IPP agreements. He additionally called on lower electricity and petrol rates for traders.

He remarked the JI's previous protests had secured relief for consumers in electricity costs and that the administration must now provide similar relief on petroleum products.

Turning to the Pims tragedy, the JI chief attributed the deaths of the children to administration incompetence and negligence. He questioned how the administration could run the country when it could not properly manage even a hospital.

Rehman questioned why adequate safety measures had not been in place at Pims and whether doctors and paramedics had been properly trained to accord with emergencies and disasters. He remarked there was no effective system for disaster-response training in the country.

He additionally questioned the formation of a committee by Pims after the prime minister had already constituted one to investigate the incident, saying the move appeared aimed at deflecting responsibility. He demanded a comprehensive investigation into the incident and remarked the matter could not be closed with the suspension of a single official.

Rehman reiterated that the JI's sit-in was aimed at securing the rights of Pakistan's 250 million individuals. The state, he remarked, was responsible for providing basic rights to citizens, but successive governments had instead burdened them with taxes.

For now, JI announces nationwide strike on Sept 3 against petroleum levy remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.