KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Sindh Chief, Kashif Saeed Sheikh on Monday termed the petroleum levy a “protection tax” imposed on the public and announced province-wide protests on August 7 against the levy and rising inflation in response to JI’s Central, Chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman’s call.
The Rs220 levy on petroleum products is an excessive tax imposed on people already struggling with record inflation and rising prices of food, medicines and other essentials, Sheikh told JI district officials during an online meeting from the party’s provincial Quba Auditorium.
He outlined the province-wide protests plan, saying that roads would be blocked and sit-ins staged from Karachi to Kashmore. The meeting reviewed preparations for the nationwide protest campaign. Provincial General Secretary Muhammad Yousuf, Muhammad Muslim, Zahid Hussain Rajpar and Mujahid Channa also attended.
Sheikh said the government’s economic policies, administrative failure and corruption had pushed every sector into crisis, while soaring inflation had made life increasingly difficult for ordinary people.
He said the Rs220 per litre petroleum levy was in addition to all other taxes and company margins on fuel. He warned that the heavy tax burden on fuel was increasing unemployment, weakening the economy and driving up the prices of flour, sugar, rice, bread and other essential commodities.
He demanded the immediate abolition of the petroleum levy and a reduction in fuel prices to provide relief to the public. He added that inflation, unemployment and lawlessness were contributing to growing mental stress and psychological problems, while repeated increases in petroleum prices had exhausted the patience of the people.
Sheikh said essential items, including flour, rice, pulses, cooking oil and vegetables, had become unaffordable, while electricity, gas and other utility bills had placed an unbearable burden on households.
Criticising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said the premier had once promised to make flour cheaper “even by selling his clothes”, but claimed that the government was now stripping ordinary people of their basic means of living while those in power continued to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
The JI Sindh chief urged religious scholars, traders, farmers, labourers, students and the general public to join the protest movement, saying the campaign sought relief from inflation, unemployment, power load-shedding and what he described as oppressive policies.
In a separate event, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar inaugurated what the party described as Karachi’s first free public fitness club in Gulberg Town, saying the project reflected its commitment to public welfare and healthier lifestyles.
The Dr Jalaluddin Saifi Fitness Club has been established by the Gulberg Town Municipal Committee at the Centre for Sports and Culture in Block 10 and equipped with modern exercise machines.
Dedicated hours from 11am to 5pm have been reserved daily for women to ensure they can use the facility in a safe and comfortable environment.
Speaking at the inauguration, Monem Zafar said the project demonstrated the party’s commitment to fulfilling promises made to residents despite limited municipal resources.
He said Gulberg Town had opened 42 parks over the past three years, while JI’s nine town administrations had restored more than 200 parks across Karachi. He also said the town had introduced what he described as the country’s first education card, installed thousands of streetlights and launched a rainwater conservation project.
Monem Zafar said playgrounds and parks had previously been encroached upon, but petitions filed by JI town chairmen led the Sindh High Court to order the removal of commercial activities from parks and sports grounds. He claimed that commercial activities had since been removed from 95 percent of such public spaces.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026