QUETTA: Workers and supporters of Jamaat-i-Islami staged a protest on Sunday against a sharp increase in petroleum prices, criticising the government’s economic policies and rising inflation.

The demonstration took place outside the Quetta Press Club, where participants gathered under the leadership of district Emir Abdul Naeem Rind. Protesters carried banners and placards condemning repeated fuel price hikes and calling for immediate relief for the public.

Chanting slogans against the government, the demonstrators accused authorities of placing an excessive financial burden on citizens through escalating costs of living.

Jamaat-i-Islami leaders issued a strong statement denouncing the rise in petrol and diesel prices, saying it would allow profiteers to arbitrarily increase the cost of essential goods. Addressing the crowd, speakers said the government had failed to reduce its own expenditures and instead imposed what they described as a petrol bomb on the population, further intensifying economic hardship.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2026