ISLAMABAD: The leaders of Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Sunday warned of staging sit-ins in Rawalpindi and Islamabad if authorities refuse to grant permission for a public gathering in the garrison city, as the party escalates pressure on the government over rising fuel prices and inflation.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, the emir of Jamaat-e-Islami, told a news conference in Lahore that the administration was employing delaying tactics and denying approval for a rally at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. He said authorities would be responsible for any consequences if they did not change their approach.
The party’s ongoing sit-ins in provincial capitals against the petroleum development levy and rising fuel prices, launched Aug. 16, have entered their 15th consecutive day. Jamaat-e-Islami has also announced a nationwide shutter-down strike for Sept. 3 to step up pressure on the federal government.
Trend Campaign Alert 🚨
Join the nationwide conversation and make your voice count.
Today, we launch the 3 September Strike trend campaign to demand relief from unjust petroleum levy and excessive taxation that continue to burden the people of Pakistan.
Raise your voice,… pic.twitter.com/rBfVthriHz
— Jamaat e Islami Pakistan (@JIPOfficial) August 29, 2026
Rehman said a public gathering would still be held in Rawalpindi later Sunday and that he would meet with members of the business community. He added that his party was succeeding in raising public awareness and mobilizing people on key national issues.
The JI emir also voiced concern over Pakistan’s law and order situation, saying terrorist incidents were increasing and that disillusionment among the younger generation was contributing to a growing brain drain. He criticized the government’s economic policies, asserting that income tax was being collected primarily from salaried individuals while excessive taxation further squeezed ordinary citizens.
The protests come amid mounting public anger over soaring fuel costs, inflation and skyrocketing electricity bills. Supporters have been staging sit-ins since Aug. 16 outside the Punjab chief minister’s residence in Lahore and governor houses in Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.
The federal government faces intensifying pressure over successive fuel price hikes and their impact on inflation. That pressure has grown after authorities shifted from a 15-day fuel price review to a daily pricing mechanism amid volatility in global oil markets following renewed hostilities in the Middle East.
The fuel price dispute has also triggered protests and demands from transporters and petroleum dealers across the country.
