JI warns it will expand ongoing sit-ins into wheel-jam, shutter-down strike

JI warns it will expand ongoing sit-ins into wheel-jam, shutter-down strike.

Key points

• JI Vice-Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam, Deputy Secretary Syed Farasat Shah, Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa and Information Secretary Shakil Ahmed Turabi were additionally present at the press conference.
• He additionally criticised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's education policy, saying that 11, 000 schools had been outsourced.
• The administration had on Wednesday cut the rate of high-speed diesel by Rs32.63 per litre and raised the cost of petrol by Rs2.97 per litre.
• He pressed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reduce petrol and diesel costs by Rs130, arguing that the administration should pass the full benefit to consumers.
• Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with almost 20 years of field reporting experience.

JI warns it will expand ongoing sit-ins into wheel-jam, shutter-down strike. Kalbe Ali Published August 20, 2026 Updated August 20, 2026 08: 28pm. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-I-Islami Pakistan (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on Thursday cautioned that the JI would expand its ongoing sit-ins into a nationwide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike the week after 12th Rabiul Awwal (August 26) if the administration failed to abolish the petroleum levy.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he remarked the party would, furthermore, establish protest camps nationwide in backing of its campaign. He remarked the JI could additionally march on Islamabad on foot if the administration failed to respond to its demands.

While a public gathering would be held at the Karachi protest venue on Friday, rehman remarked he would address the sit-in in Lahore on Thursday.

While the "Form 47 rulers" had failed to deliver basic services, the JI chief remarked inflation had severely affected ordinary citizens. He described the petroleum levy as an unjustified "extortionary tax", saying consumers were paying around Rs80 per litre under the levy.

According to him, the levy was originally introduced to finance the upgrading of Pakistan's oil refineries. Nevertheless, he stated, the administration had collected more than Rs8 trillion from consumers under the levy while spending less than Rs100 billion on refinery upgrades.

Rehman remarked JI sit-ins in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were attracting increasing numbers of residents, including traders, religious scholars, youth and civil society members. The protests, he remarked, had evolved into a platform for raising wider public grievances.

"We want relief for the nation. The abolition of the levy is not a matter of our ego; it is a matter concerning the individuals, " he stated, urging citizens to backing the campaign.

In practice, the administration had on Wednesday cut the rate of high-speed diesel by Rs32.63 per litre and raised the cost of petrol by Rs2.97 per litre.

On a question regarding negotiations, Rehman stated JI would not participate in administration briefings and instead wanted the rulers to come to the protesters and engage directly with them.

Recalling JI's previous campaign against independent power producers (IPPs), Rehman remarked party workers had been ceased from entering Islamabad and subjected to tear-gas shelling before they established a sit-in in Rawalpindi.

He remarked the administration subsequently negotiated with JI and five IPPs were shut down and new agreements were signed with others. It he noted saved the national exchequer Rs3.36 trillion.

Notably, the party chief remarked 73 IPPs still needed to be reviewed and argued that meaningful negotiations with them could substantially reduce electricity costs within the next 12 to 18 months.

According to He further, iPPs were additionally being paid for electricity that was not generated, shifting the cost onto consumers. JI chief criticises rising taxes, cost of living.

For context, the JI emir additionally criticised what he called the excessive privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite while low-income citizens faced rising taxes and living costs. He remarked the burden of the political elite's expenditures was being borne by ordinary Pakistanis.

Rehman remarked Pakistan's total debt had risen to Rs98 trillion and called on the administration to honour its commitments regarding the elimination of interest-based financing. He remarked reducing interest payments would assist ease the country's debt burden.

He additionally criticised the power tariff structure, saying consumers continued to face excessive electricity bills while the administration relied on extra charges to raise revenue. He questioned why the public should bear the cost when the Federal Board of Revenue's 25, 000 employees failed to meet their targets.

Calling for austerity, he proposed that administration vehicles should have engine capacities of no more than 1, 300cc. He remarked corruption and unnecessary taxation must be eliminated.

Turning to provincial governance, Rehman remarked the PPP had damaged Sindh and went on that the PML-N had ruled Punjab for almost four decades without resolving the province's structural difficulties. He remarked poverty had significantly climbed in Punjab.

"If you cannot run the education system, this is your failure, " he remarked.

Addressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he questioned the government's priorities, saying it was unfair to impose the petroleum levy on ordinary citizens while allocating Rs11 billion for what he described as expenditure benefiting the prime minister's niece.

He additionally demanded the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and all political prisoners. He described restricting medical treatment for Imran as "fascism" and pressed him to be provided with all necessary healthcare facilities.

Kalbe Ali is a senior staff reporter for Dawn based in Islamabad, with almost 20 years of field reporting experience. As well as religious affairs, he covers a diverse range of topics, including the internet, IT and telecom sectors.

For now, JI warns it will expand ongoing sit-ins into wheel-jam, shutter remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.