Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is expanding its protest campaign in Karachi, with more than 25 camps planned across the city as the party continues to oppose the petroleum levy and demand an end to prolonged electricity outages. The JI Karachi protests are scheduled to begin on Saturday as part of the party’s wider campaign over fuel prices, taxation and electricity-related concerns.
The announcement came after JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman recently postponed the next phase of the party’s march towards Islamabad. According to reports, the decision followed a request from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a meeting on the petroleum levy issue. The JI has said its broader protest movement will continue despite the temporary pause in the march.
More Protest Camps Planned Across Karachi
Speaking to journalists in Karachi, JI Karachi Emir Munem Zafar said the party would establish more than 25 camps in different parts of the city. He urged citizens to participate in the demonstrations and said the campaign against the petroleum levy and taxation would continue.
The announcement represents another phase of the JI Karachi protests, which have already included sit-ins and other demonstrations. The party has previously organised protests in major cities and held a large shutdown campaign in Karachi, where numerous markets and commercial areas closed in response to its call against the petroleum levy and high costs.
JI leaders have consistently demanded the withdrawal of the petroleum levy, arguing that fuel-related taxes are increasing financial pressure on ordinary consumers. The government and JI have previously held several rounds of discussions over possible measures to reduce the levy and provide relief to the public.
JI Keeps Pressure on Government
The latest JI Karachi protests come as the party maintains pressure on the federal government despite putting its Islamabad march on hold.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had launched a protest march from Karachi towards Islamabad on September 20. The march was later paused in Multan following communication with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. JI said the pause was linked to a proposed meeting with the prime minister, while stressing that the party had not abandoned its campaign against the petroleum levy.
Dawn reported on September 24 that Hafiz Naeem had described the Islamabad march as paused for a few days at the prime minister’s request. He said the party’s next course of action would depend on the outcome of his meeting with Shehbaz Sharif.
The party’s Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leadership also said on September 25 that the protest campaign remained active, with further sit-ins planned and an Islamabad march expected in the first week of October.
Load-Shedding Becomes Another Major Issue
Alongside the petroleum levy, JI Karachi leaders are focusing heavily on electricity outages in the metropolis.
Munem Zafar criticised K-Electric over what he described as excessive load-shedding. He claimed some areas were experiencing outages lasting up to 18 hours and described the situation as unfair to consumers who regularly pay their electricity bills.
Zafar argued that electricity distribution companies should take action against consumers who fail to pay their bills instead of imposing prolonged outages on entire areas. He also called on the government to intervene and help address the electricity crisis in Karachi.
The allegations regarding the duration and distribution of load-shedding were made by the JI leadership and have not been independently established in the announcement.
Wider Protest Campaign Continues
The new camps are expected to give the JI Karachi protests a broader presence across the city while the party continues negotiations and political pressure over the petroleum levy.
JI’s campaign has developed over several weeks, moving from sit-ins and local demonstrations to a wider protest movement and eventually a march towards Islamabad. The party has repeatedly said that its central demand is the withdrawal of the petroleum levy and greater relief for consumers.
For Karachi residents, the latest demonstrations also bring electricity supply into sharper focus. While the petroleum levy is a federal issue, prolonged power outages remain a major concern for households and businesses in the city.
With more than 25 camps planned from Saturday, the JI Karachi protests are set to enter another phase. The party says it will continue mobilising citizens while awaiting further engagement with the federal government over its demands.
The developments also indicate that the temporary postponement of the Islamabad march has not ended JI’s wider protest campaign. Instead, the party is continuing demonstrations at the local level while keeping its broader political strategy under review.
