Major roads across Karachi ground to a halt on Friday as Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) staged protest sit-ins throughout the city, part of a nationwide demonstration the party launched against the petroleum levy. Karachi traffic police issued an advisory warning of slow-moving traffic, temporary diversions and partial road closures on several key thoroughfares as the protests unfolded.
Key Highlights
- JI sit-ins disrupt traffic on major Karachi roads including Shahrah-i-Faisal and Sea View
- Protests are part of a nationwide campaign at 510 locations against the petroleum levy
- Super Highway, Hub River Road and roads to the airport blocked
- Sit-ins also held in Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad
- Sindh districts including Thatta, Matiari and Shikarpur also see protests
Karachi’s Main Roads Bear the Brunt
The traffic police advisory listed a long stretch of the city as affected, including Mazar-i-Quaid, Numaish Chowrangi, Saddar, Shahrah-i-Faisal, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, UP Mor, Power House Chowrangi, Defence Housing Authority, Sea View, Shahrah-i-Orangi, Hub River Road, Super Highway and National Highway. Police urged residents to avoid traveling to these areas unless necessary, and advised those who had to travel to plan alternative routes and allow extra time before heading out.
Updates shared on JI Karachi’s official X account showed workers moving into position at the announced sites through the day. The road leading to Natha Khan from Shahrah-i-Faisal was blocked, as were the Super Highway and Hub River Road. Party workers also blocked the stretch running from the Shahrah-i-Faisal Nursery Bus Stop toward the airport, cutting off one of the city’s busier routes during the demonstration.
Part of a Countrywide Campaign
Friday’s protests were not confined to Karachi. A day earlier, JI had announced plans to hold sit-ins at 510 locations nationwide by blocking major roads, framing the campaign as a direct response to the petroleum levy. In line with that plan, JI workers also gathered at designated sites in Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad.
In the capital, protesters blocked the Srinagar Highway after gathering at Golra Mor, from where they planned to march toward Chungi 26. Beyond the provincial capitals, JI also organized sit-ins across several districts in Sindh, including Thatta, Matiari, Tando Allahyar and Shikarpur, extending the disruption well beyond the province’s largest city and underscoring the scale the party was aiming for with its “enough is enough” campaign against rising fuel costs.
