ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) staged a protest sit-in at Motorway Chowk, Islamabad, on August 7, 2026, against inflation, the petroleum levy and the increase in prices of petroleum products, demanding that petrol be fixed at Rs225 per litre.
The protest was led by JI Pakistan Vice-Emir Liaqat Baloch, JI Pakistan Vice-Emir Mian Muhammad Aslam and JI Islamabad Emir Engineer Nasrullah Randhawa. A large number of citizens joined the sit-in, arriving in cars, on motorcycles and on foot.
Addressing the participants, Liaqat Baloch said that on the call of JI Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, protest sit-ins were being held at 510 places across the country against inflation and the petroleum levy. He said the people should be charged the actual price of petroleum products, adding that collecting a heavy amount in the form of levy was sheer injustice.
He demanded that the government immediately abolish the petroleum levy and set the price of petrol at Rs225 per litre. Baloch said the rulers were shifting the economic burden onto the people by using the IMF as an excuse, while they were not ready to cut their own expenses and luxuries. He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue its struggle for the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and the protection of public rights.
Mian Muhammad Aslam said inflation, unemployment and rising taxes had made life difficult for the people. He said the government had affected every segment of society through the petroleum levy, which had led to a continuous increase in the prices of essential items.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami would continue to raise its voice for the legitimate rights of the people at every democratic and constitutional forum, and would keep up its struggle until relief was provided to the masses.
Engineer Nasrullah Randhawa said the people had risen against an oppressive economic system. He said the increase in petroleum prices had pushed essential commodities beyond the reach of the common man, while around Rs150 was being collected on every litre of petrol under the head of petroleum levy, which he termed an injustice to the poor.
Randhawa demanded that the government immediately end the petroleum levy and take effective steps to provide relief to the people from inflation. He said the peaceful struggle of the people would succeed and oppressive economic policies could not last for long.
At the conclusion of the sit-in, the speakers announced that Jamaat-e-Islami’s peaceful public movement would continue until public issues were resolved, inflation was brought to an end and the petroleum levy was abolished.
