What happened
Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced nationwide protests and sit-ins for Friday 10 July 2026 against what he called the government’s “extortionary” petroleum levy, accusing it of using fuel taxation to meet revenue targets rather than improving the country’s energy infrastructure.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday 7 July, Rehman said the levy had become an “unbearable burden” on ordinary Pakistanis. He claimed the government was collecting about Rs118 per litre in taxes and levies on petrol, and that nearly Rs8.5 trillion had been raised through the levy. He also criticised the collection of around Rs60 billion under the Climate Support Levy, alleging the money was not being spent on environmental or climate projects.
The tax backdrop
Under conditions attached to Pakistan’s International Monetary Fund programme, the government doubled the climate support levy to Rs5 per litre with effect from 1 July 2026 while correspondingly reducing the petroleum levy. According to the account carried by Dawn, the petroleum levy on diesel now stands at about Rs80 per litre and on petrol at about Rs70 per litre, in addition to the Rs5 climate levy.
Rehman said gas prices had been increased despite the discovery of new reserves and that the absence of major international companies from the latest energy exploration bidding round reflected what he called the government’s incompetence. He added that liquefied petroleum gas officially priced at Rs241 per kilogramme was being sold for as much as Rs500, while electricity, fuel and food prices continued to rise. He demanded that petrol should cost no more than Rs225 per litre.
Wider demands
Beyond fuel pricing, Rehman urged the government to raise India’s “aggression” over Pakistan’s waters at international forums, to begin work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, to launch formal trade with Iran and to open dialogue to resolve the crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). On AJK, he said JI was playing a mediatory role and that the Joint Awami Action Committee was ready for negotiations, adding that “the ball is now in the government’s court”.
He also referred to past remarks by United States President Donald Trump on mediation over Kashmir and water disputes, saying Pakistan should remind him of those commitments. Separately, he described the alleged kidnapping and rape of foreign women in Lahore as “deeply shameful” and demanded an open court trial, and expressed grief over a recent roof-collapse tragedy in Kahna.
Why it matters
The protest call puts a mainstream religious party at the front of public discontent over fuel taxation at a time when energy costs and inflation are pressing household budgets. A nationwide protest programme can disrupt traffic and commerce, and it adds pressure on the government as it balances IMF-linked revenue measures against popular anger over the cost of living.
What is still uncertain
The revenue and levy figures cited here are the JI emir’s own claims as reported by Dawn and have not been independently verified. The government’s response to the protest call and the final turnout and scope of the 10 July demonstrations were not known at the time of the report reviewed here.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 2026-07-07.
- Dawn — "JI chief announces countrywide protests against 'extortionary' petroleum levy on Friday"7 July 2026 · The protest call, the levy figures, the demands on water, Iran and AJK, and the remarks on the Lahore case.
