Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Hafiz Naeem said people were facing growing difficulties because of inflation, rising electricity tariffs and increasing prices of petroleum products, while the ruling elite continued to expand its own expenditures instead of reducing the financial burden on the public.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami had no personal or political agenda against any individual or government and that its objective was to secure relief for the people.
“The burden of the decisions made by an incompetent ruling class is being borne by the people,” he said, arguing that the current economic conditions had made it increasingly difficult for ordinary households to meet their basic expenses.
Hafiz Naeem demanded that the government immediately abolish the petroleum levy. He warned that if the demand was not accepted, JI would expand its protest, including sitting on roads as part of its next phase of action.
He claimed that the government was imposing a substantial additional burden on consumers through the levy, with students also paying the extra cost whenever they purchased petrol.
The JI chief argued that petroleum prices were not merely a transport issue but had a direct impact on the entire cost of living. Higher fuel costs increase transportation expenses, which in turn affect food prices, household goods and the cost of running small businesses.
The IPP question
Hafiz Naeem also renewed his criticism of agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), calling for what he described as unjust agreements to be terminated or renegotiated.
He alleged that the IPP system had placed an excessive financial burden on consumers and claimed that JI’s previous protests had contributed to efforts to reduce electricity prices.
He further said the government itself had acknowledged that JI’s sit-in had resulted in billions of rupees in savings for the national exchequer.
The argument raises a broader question about Pakistan’s energy policy: whether the cost of past contractual decisions should continue to be passed on to consumers, even when households and businesses are already struggling with high electricity bills.
Wheat policy under scrutiny
Hafiz Naeem also criticised the government’s wheat import and export policies.
He questioned why wheat had first been imported and later allowed to be exported at lower prices, arguing that such decisions had contributed to pressure in the domestic market.
Hafiz Naeem also claimed that consumers had not received the full benefit of reductions in diesel prices. According to him, companies were charging consumers according to imported oil prices despite the availability of locally produced oil.
He demanded an end to what he described as excessive charges on petroleum products and called for immediate measures to provide genuine relief to consumers.
Nationwide strike planned
Hafiz Naeem said JI would also hold Seerat conferences during its sit-ins around Eid Milad-un-Nabi ﷺ.
He announced that the party would call for a nationwide strike on 13 Rabi-ul-Awwal, with the strike expected to take place in the first week of September.
He said the detailed and “important” next phase of the protest movement would be announced tonight.
The announcement indicates that JI intends to move beyond its existing protest campaign and increase pressure on the government over economic issues, particularly fuel prices, electricity costs and taxation.
Palestine, Kashmir and national unity
The JI chief also spoke about the situation in Palestine, expressing concern over continued Israeli military operations and calling for stronger diplomatic efforts to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque and the rights of Palestinians.
He said the agreement involving Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan should be used to strengthen efforts for the protection of Jerusalem and called for a clear message to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hafiz Naeem also accused Israel of carrying out attacks in Syria and said Israel had repeatedly disregarded international law and agreements.
At the same time, he warned against issues that could deepen divisions within Pakistan, saying the country needed national unity and consensus, particularly amid continuing terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
He also referred to the ongoing protest in Kashmir and said political and public disputes should ultimately be resolved through dialogue.
The bigger economic question
Hafiz Naeem said the prices of vegetables and other essential commodities had risen to levels that were making it increasingly difficult for households to meet their daily expenses.
He reiterated that JI would continue its protest until the government addressed public grievances, particularly by abolishing the petroleum levy, reviewing what he described as unfair IPP agreements and taking immediate steps to reduce inflation.
He stressed that the protest was not a matter of personal or political ego but an effort to secure relief for ordinary citizens.
The government now faces a familiar but increasingly difficult question: how long can economic pressure be absorbed by households before it becomes a political crisis?
For consumers, petroleum prices are not an isolated figure on a price board. Fuel costs feed into transportation, food, electricity, agriculture and almost every other part of the economy. That makes the petroleum levy more than a taxation issue—it is ultimately a question of how the state distributes the cost of running the economy.
If the government chooses to reject JI’s demands, it will need to explain not only why the levy is necessary but also why the burden should continue to fall so heavily on consumers.
And if JI succeeds in expanding its protest into a nationwide movement, the dispute may soon move beyond the question of petrol prices and become a broader test of public frustration with Pakistan’s economic management.
For now, all eyes are on tonight’s announcement. The next phase of the protest could determine whether the confrontation remains a political campaign or develops into a much wider challenge over the cost of living.
