JI launches protest march towards Islamabad against petroleum levy

JI launches protest march towards Islamabad against petroleum levy.

Key points

• Mohammad Hussain KhanNews Desk Published September 20, 2026 Updated September 21, 2026 01: 08am.
• Mohammad Hussain Khan is a staff reporter and investigative journalist for Dawn based in Hyderabad, where he has worked since 1994.
• It additionally turned down the government's request to postpone the march, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stated a day earlier.
• PTI is additionally scheduled to stage its protest in the capital on Sept 27 for the release of Imran Khan, among other demands.
• In the morning, Naeem created a speech at Karachi's Cantonment Station before departing for Islamabad by train.

Mohammad Hussain KhanNews Desk Published September 20, 2026 Updated September 21, 2026 01: 08am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

Jamaat-I-Islami introduced its protest march towards Islamabad on Sunday, with party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman warning that if the administration failed to abolish the petroleum levy, the protest could turn into one to oust the administration.

In the morning, Naeem created a speech at Karachi's Cantonment Station before departing for Islamabad by train. After addressing supporters in Hyderabad during his journey, Naeem held a rally upon reaching Sukkur at night.

Addressing the Sukkur gathering, the JI chief accused the PPP-led Sindh administration of creating obstacles throughout the day for its supporters, including residents coming from Shikarpur and Balochistan.

"We tell the Sindh government that this method is not correct, " he remarked.

In his Karachi speech, the party chief remarked that a road caravan had additionally departed for the federal capital along with the "train march".

He continued that the rally would pass through Hyderabad, Landhi, Nawabshah, Rohri and Sukkur, adding that "we will invite our sisters to join us once we reach ".

Rehman remarked the purpose of the march was to assist relieve the burden on the least privileged.

"Instead of providing relief to the people, the government has decided that it would make the nation pay for its bad governance, " he continued. "We demand that the levy extortion should end. Petrol rates would then reduce swiftly and reach around Rs200 per litre. That's when the economy could move forward."

He remarked that the administration had rose petrol costs more than any other state in the region. "The government wants to rob the common people in times of crisis, " Naeem asserted.

For context, the JI emir remarked voicing complaints on social media was pointless, urging supporters to step out of their houses to protest the injustice.

"For the past 36-37 days, nationwide protests have been ongoing, " he remarked, adding that protests were at present under way in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Naushahro Feroze, Rawalpindi, Gujrat and various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

"JI has mobilised entire Pakistan, " he remarked. "No hindrances can stop the protesters."

"When we reach Islamabad, it's not guaranteed that the situation would remain under control, " Rehman cautioned. If the administration tried to suppress the movement, the situation would secure out of control, he noted.

Notably, the party posted on X that the protesters would depart for Multan on Monday.

Meanwhile, the JI has been holding nationwide protests against the fuel levy. It is more than Rs100 per litre.

As the JI's convoy reached Hyderabad, the JI chief addressed party workers gathered at the Hyderabad Railway Station.

He remarked the enthusiasm expressed by residents at the station indicated that JI's movement against rate hikes and recovery of petroleum levy had resonated with the public.

He pressed residents to reach Islamabad and asserted that neither he nor the JI have any personal interest; rather, the matter concerned the residents of Pakistan.

Rehman remarked the march had turned into a enormous revolutionary one. He remarked that residents had been mobilised throughout Pakistan towards Islamabad, demanding the levy be withdrawn.

On JI's discussions with the administration, he noted that while the party held negotiations, the federal administration had nothing to offer to the individuals.

"If you are under some compulsion and cannot do anything, then JI is under compulsion that it has to stand with people, " he remarked, adding that the party's negotiations with the administration were conditional upon whether the latter offered any relief.

On Saturday, a administration delegation, including PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, and Salman Rafique, called on the JI leadership at its Mansoorah headquarters in Lahore, but the gathering failed to break the deadlock.

During the discussions, the administration delegation asked the JI to postpone the long march in view of security threats. Nevertheless, JI leader Liaquat Baloch stated the long march would remain necessary until the levy imposed on the public was withdrawn.

Discussions between the JI and the administration began on Sept 7. The party has been staging regular sit-ins in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and dozens of other locations nationwide since August 16 to protest the levy.

Meanwhile, PTI is additionally scheduled to stage its protest in the capital on Sept 27 for the release of Imran Khan, among other demands.

Mohammad Hussain Khan is a staff reporter and investigative journalist for Dawn based in Hyderabad, where he has worked since 1994. As well as health, the environment, and the judicial system, he covers governance, agriculture, and water resources.

For now, JI launches protest march towards Islamabad against petroleum levy remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.