'To hell with you and your IMF ’: Thousands rally across Pakistan against fuel price hikes

Protests erupted across Pakistan on Friday (August 7) as thousands of people took to the streets with anger over rising fuel costs and inflation turned into nationwide agitation led by Jamaat-e-Islami.

Nationwide protests

Demonstrations, sit-ins and road blockades were reported in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad.

Traffic was disrupted on major highways and city roads as protesters gathered with placards carrying messages such as "Enough is enough", "Roll back the levy, roll out relief" and "We want Rs 225/- without any levy", reported India Today.

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The protests followed the government's decision to impose a new petroleum levy and continue fuel price increases. Since March, petrol and diesel rates have been revised on a weekly basis as Pakistan faces higher oil costs and supply pressures linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Jamaat slams levy

Addressing supporters, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said ordinary Pakistanis were paying the price for years of economic mismanagement.

“This government, and the government before it, and the government before that, are all involved in the same mess. That's why this levy is unacceptable... Shehbaz Sharif and your ministers, listen to me clearly: you must step back. You must abolish this levy tax,” he said.

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Rehman said the government had collected 8 trillion Pakistani rupees through the petroleum levy. He alleged that the funds were benefiting powerful interests rather than families struggling with rising expenses. He also rejected the government's argument that commitments to the International Monetary Fund left little room to reduce the levy.

‘To hell with you and your IMF’

"You claim that the IMF will not allow this. So to hell with you and your IMF. Stop oppressing the poor, stop oppressing students. We don't accept this levy," he said.

Describing Friday's demonstrations as only a "trailer", Rehman announced further sit-ins outside the Punjab chief minister's residence in Lahore and governor houses in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta on Sunday. He warned that the campaign could continue for a long period if the government failed to respond to the group's demands.

Fuel prices soar

Fuel prices in Pakistan have risen sharply in recent months. Petrol reached 459 Pakistani rupees per litre in April, while diesel climbed to 520.35 rupees.

The increases have pushed up transport expenses and the cost of consumer goods, adding fresh pressure on households already struggling with persistent inflation and a higher cost of living.