Pakistan Erupts in Protests Over Rising Fuel Prices and Inflation

Widespread protests have broken out across Pakistan’s Sindh province, with citizens and political activists taking to the streets in major cities including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Jacobabad. Demonstrations were sparked by rising inflation and sharp increases in fuel prices, which have intensified economic pressures on households.

In recent weeks, petrol prices in Pakistan surged by PKR 137 per litre before being reduced by PKR 80. Opposition parties have dismissed the rollback as a “misleading reduction,” arguing that the overall burden on citizens remains severe. Protesters across the province voiced frustration over the escalating cost of living and the government’s handling of the economic crisis.

In Sukkur, members of the Sindh United Party staged a dramatic protest outside the local press club, with participants wearing burial shrouds and observing a symbolic hunger strike. Party leader Eidan Jagirani criticized the fuel pricing policy, stating that inflation has made essential goods increasingly unaffordable for ordinary citizens.

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Workers from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, led by Gohar Khan Khoso, also held demonstrations at the same location, warning that protests could spread nationwide if immediate relief measures are not introduced. Meanwhile, the Awami Tehreek organized a large rally and sit-in, accusing the government of using global tensions as justification for steep fuel price hikes while offering only superficial relief.

In Karachi, labour groups including the National Trade Union Federation and the Home-Based Women Workers Federation led joint protests, condemning both fuel price increases and broader economic policies. They called for the removal of petroleum taxes, higher wages, and a halt to foreign debt repayments, linking domestic challenges to international financial pressures.

Elsewhere, in Jacobabad, a bicycle rally organised by the Aam Insan Tehreek highlighted the growing inability of citizens to afford transportation costs. Protest leaders urged the government to cut its own expenditures instead of placing additional burdens on the public, as unrest continues to mount across the region.

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