Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan has announced a nationwide shutter-down strike after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal in protest against the government’s petroleum levy and what it describes as rising economic pressures on the public.
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman made the announcement during a press conference in Karachi, saying that the party’s campaign against the petroleum levy was progressing successfully. He warned that the government would have to reduce the prices of petroleum products and address the financial burden being placed on ordinary citizens.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said the party would intensify its campaign if the government failed to respond to its demands. He announced that a countrywide shutter-down strike would be held after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, making it clear that the protest movement would continue until the government took practical steps to meet the party’s demands.
He also criticized the government over the broader economic situation, arguing that Pakistan could not make meaningful progress while what he described as flour and sugar mafias continued to operate. He said farmers were struggling to obtain affordable fertilizer and questioned the use of public funds for what he described as expensive vehicles for government officials.
According to the Jamaat-e-Islami leader, the petroleum levy has placed an additional burden on consumers by contributing to higher fuel prices. The party has been demanding relief for the public and has called for a reduction in petroleum prices.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also rejected the idea of negotiations in which the government would simply ask protesters to end their demonstrations in exchange for verbal assurances. He said the protests would only be ended once the government implemented the party’s demands in practical terms.
The announcement represents a further escalation in Jamaat-e-Islami’s campaign against the petroleum levy. The party has already organized sit-ins outside governors’ houses across the country. According to the party, these demonstrations had entered their eighth consecutive day when the announcement was made.
The Jamaat-e-Islami has been using the protests to pressure the federal government over fuel prices, taxation and broader economic policies. The party argues that the government should provide immediate relief to households facing increased costs of transportation, food and other essential goods.
The announcement of a shutter-down strike could potentially increase pressure on the government because such strikes can affect commercial activity in major cities and markets across Pakistan. The extent of participation, however, will depend on how widely businesses, traders and other groups respond to the party’s call.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has previously warned that the party would expand its protest movement if the government refused to reconsider the petroleum levy. His latest statement indicates that Jamaat-e-Islami intends to move from sit-ins and demonstrations toward a broader nationwide protest campaign.
The government now faces pressure to engage with the party and respond to its demands before the planned strike. The dispute is centered primarily on the petroleum levy, but Jamaat-e-Islami’s criticism also covers the rising cost of living, agricultural input prices, government spending and what it considers weaknesses in economic governance.
The coming days are likely to determine whether negotiations can prevent the planned shutter-down strike or whether the protests will expand after 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal. Jamaat-e-Islami has made it clear that it does not intend to call off its campaign merely on the basis of assurances and wants concrete action from the government before ending its demonstrations.
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