KARACHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) nationwide shutter-down strike against the petroleum levy, rising fuel costs and inflation received a mixed response across Pakistan on Thursday, with major markets closing in several areas of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while business largely continued in Punjab and Balochistan.
The JI had called for the September 3 strike as part of its ongoing campaign against rising petroleum prices, the petroleum levy and inflation. The party has also been holding sit-ins in provincial capitals since August 16.
Sindh sees widespread closures
In Karachi, a number of commercial districts observed the strike. JI Karachi chief Munim Zafar claimed that more than 300 small and large markets had remained closed.
Business activity was particularly affected in Federal B Area, Water Pump, Liaquatabad and Teen Hatti.
The Karachi Bar Association also backed the protest and announced a peaceful demonstration from the Sindh High Court to the Karachi Press Club against inflation.
Public transport was also affected in some areas. The Orange Line BRT service remained suspended from the morning because of the ongoing JI sit-in, while the Green Line continued to operate.
Tensions were reported near Korangi Crossing, where unidentified individuals allegedly set fire to a tyre and two motorcycles, disrupting traffic. The motorcycle market on Akbar Road also remained shut.
The strike was partially observed in Hyderabad, where Chandni Market, Furniture Market, Khokhar Mohalla and Resham Bazaar were among the commercial areas that closed.
Several towns across Sindh also witnessed varying degrees of shutdown. Thatta saw commercial centres, hotels, petrol stations and shops close in Makli, Gharo, Dhabeji, Mirpur Sakro and surrounding areas.
Markets in parts of Badin and Shikarpur also remained closed, including commercial areas in Golarchi, Talhar, Matli and Tando Bago. In Tando Muhammad Khan, traders who initially opened their shops later joined the shutdown.
Larkana and Hala witnessed complete closures, with major markets and business centres remaining shut.
In Tharparkar, JI activists staged a symbolic protest at Kashmir Chowk, where petrol was reportedly made available to consumers at Rs225 per litre.
KP records uneven participation
The strike produced a mixed outcome in Peshawar. Most businesses along Ashraf Road were closed, while commercial activity continued in Qissa Khwani, Saddar, University Road and several other areas.
Lawyers in Peshawar also stayed away from court proceedings following a call from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, expressing solidarity with the protest and citing the impact of expensive food and petroleum products.
Lower Dir observed a complete shutdown, with commercial centres closed and traffic falling considerably.
Markets in Batkhela, Dargai, Sakakot and Thana Baizai in Malakand also remained closed, while the district bar association boycotted court proceedings.
Charsadda witnessed partial closures in Tehsil Bazaar, with the district bar extending support to the strike. Business activity in Shabqadar was also affected, although some shops remained open.
In contrast, markets and commercial centres in Dera Ismail Khan largely continued normal operations.
Punjab largely unaffected
The strike had limited impact in Punjab.
In Rawalpindi, major commercial areas including Raja Bazaar, Murree Road, Commercial Market and Tench Bhatta remained open, while traffic continued normally.
A confrontation was reported in Lahore, where JI activists and traders exchanged heated words on Mall Road over implementation of the strike. The dispute reportedly developed into a scuffle, prompting a significant police presence in the area.
Balochistan sees limited response
Most commercial activity continued in Balochistan despite the JI’s nationwide call.
In Quetta, shops and major markets largely remained open, including business areas around Liaquat Bazaar, Shahrah-e-Iqbal and Kasi Road.
Khuzdar was an exception, with markets and commercial centres observing the shutdown. The JI also established a protest camp at central Azadi Chowk to voice opposition to the petroleum levy and inflation.
JI weighs next phase of campaign
JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had said a day earlier that the party would decide its next move after assessing the response to the nationwide strike.
Speaking at the party’s Lahore sit-in, he said the JI preferred peaceful political resistance and would consult opposition parties over the possibility of launching a long march.
He warned that failure to resolve the party’s demands could lead to a broader campaign aimed at forcing the government out of office.
In Karachi, Hafiz Naeem said the government had contacted the JI and expressed hope that a government delegation would visit the party’s headquarters in Mansoora, Lahore, for negotiations.
He stressed, however, that talks would not halt the protest campaign, saying negotiations and sit-ins would continue simultaneously until the party’s demands were addressed.
The JI movement comes amid growing public frustration over fuel prices, inflation and high electricity bills.
The government is facing increasing pressure over the impact of successive fuel price adjustments on household budgets and transport costs.
The controversy has intensified after authorities moved from a fortnightly fuel-price review to a daily pricing mechanism amid sharp fluctuations in international oil markets following renewed conflict in the Middle East.
The rise in fuel costs has also triggered separate protests and demands from transporters and petroleum dealers, adding to pressure on the government to provide relief to consumers.
