Jamaat-e-Islami begins its Karachi-to-Islamabad train march after a 35-day sit-in, demanding withdrawal of the petroleum levy.
KARACHI, September 20, 2026: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has launched the party’s long march from Karachi to Islamabad against the petroleum levy, warning that its protest movement could intensify if the government does not withdraw the levy.
The train march departed from Karachi Cantt Railway Station on Sunday, with Hafiz Naeem addressing party workers and supporters before the departure.
The development marks a new phase in JI’s nationwide campaign, which has included sit-ins and protests over fuel prices and the petroleum levy.
JI demands withdrawal of petroleum levy
Addressing participants, Hafiz Naeem said the government should provide relief to consumers and reiterated that JI’s protest would continue until the petroleum levy was withdrawn.
The march follows negotiations between JI and the federal government that failed to produce an agreement on the party’s demand for abolition of the levy.
JI has rejected the government’s fuel relief package, arguing that targeted discounts do not replace a reduction in the petroleum levy. The party has also raised concerns about the absence of comparable relief on diesel.
The JI leadership has maintained that the abolition of the petroleum levy is its central demand. The party has also linked its wider campaign to petroleum pricing, taxation and agreements with independent power producers.
Train march to travel through Sindh
According to the schedule announced by the party, Hyderabad is the first major stop for the Karachi caravan, with additional participants expected to join along the route.
The train is then scheduled to travel towards Rohri, where Hafiz Naeem is expected to address a public gathering, before proceeding towards Multan.
The JI chief is scheduled to address participants in Multan on September 21. The next phase will involve a road caravan from Multan towards Lahore on September 22, followed by the final journey towards Islamabad.
JI has said caravans from other parts of Pakistan will also converge on the federal capital. Hafiz Naeem previously said participants would arrive in Islamabad from different directions and that the party did not intend to block roads.
The party expects its broader mobilisation to reach Islamabad on September 23 and 24.
JI ends 35-day Karachi sit-in
The train march follows the conclusion of JI’s 35-day sit-in outside the Sindh Governor House in Karachi. The party has described the sit-in as part of its campaign against the petroleum levy and rising fuel costs.
JI has said it could reconsider or cancel its march if the government agrees to withdraw the petroleum levy, while the government and party have yet to reach an agreement on the demand.
Government faces multiple protest campaigns
The JI mobilisation comes as the federal government faces several planned protest campaigns over different issues.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has warned that prolonged protests, strikes and road blockages could cause economic losses of around Rs120 billion per day, according to the government’s assessment.
JI, meanwhile, has maintained that its campaign is aimed at securing relief from fuel costs and the petroleum levy.
Hafiz Naeem has warned that failure to address the party’s demand could lead to a further escalation of the protest movement. The government and JI have not reached an agreement following their latest negotiations.