Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced nationwide protests tomorrow, on Friday, against the recent increase in the petroleum levy, with demonstrations planned at more than 510 locations across Pakistan. The protests are expected to cause significant traffic disruptions in major cities, including Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, as the party plans to block key roads and highways.
In Lahore, Jamaat-e-Islami has announced that major highways will be blocked from 4:00 p.m. The party’s main protest will take place at Cordoba Chowk in Mazang, while demonstrations are also planned on Ferozepur Road, Jail Road, Multan Road, and other major routes.
The central and provincial leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami will address participants at the protests in Lahore. In Islamabad, the main demonstration will be held at Stop No. 26. In Karachi, protesters are expected to block Shahrah-e-Faisal, one of the city’s busiest roads. The Swat Motorway is also expected to be blocked as part of the protest campaign.
According to Jamaat-e-Islami sources, the party is also considering turning the ongoing protest movement into a sit-in. Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman will remain at the party’s headquarters in Mansoorah, Lahore, to monitor the nationwide protests. A final decision on whether he will personally participate in or address any of the demonstrations has not yet been made.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) observed the third anniversary of party founder Imran Khan’s arrest on Wednesday with protests and rallies held across the country.
Addressing a major gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced that the party would march towards Islamabad on September 27 if legal proceedings involving Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, were not conducted on merit and restrictions on their meetings with lawyers, family members, and political representatives were not removed.
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