Jamaat-e-Islami’s sit-in against the petroleum levy entered its third day on Tuesday, with the party preparing to bring workers from across Punjab to the protest venue in phases.

According to party sources, convoys of workers from various districts of central and eastern Punjab are expected to join the sit-in today. The participants are scheduled to return to their respective districts late at night, while workers from other districts will arrive at the venue the following day.

The party has made arrangements to continue the protest for eight days, including supplies of food, drinking water and medicines for participants.

Jamaat-e-Islami has planned phased participation from different parts of Punjab, while provincial office-bearers have been assigned responsibilities for specific days during the protest.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman is scheduled to address the protesters and hold a press conference today.

Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore chief Ziauddin Ansari said the party would remain at the protest venue until its demands were accepted.

He said the party was demanding the complete abolition of the petroleum levy and fixing the price of petrol at Rs225 per litre.
 

The government has increased the pricing of fuel and high-speed diesel, with the new rates taking effect from August 18, 2026.

According to the Petroleum Division, the price of petrol has been increased by Rs5.77 per litre, while high-speed diesel has become Rs6.47 per litre more expensive.

The revised fuel and diesel rates will be relevant for one day, starting August 18, 2026.

The Petroleum Division is calculating fuel prices on a daily basis under the government’s process for modifying petroleum product pricing.

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as a deal to end the Middle East war ‌seemed further out of sight with Iran saying it will adopt a more offensive stance and the U.S. ruling out extending a ceasefire agreement, heightening worries about energy supply.

Iran will shift to a “fully offensive” military posture because efforts to negotiate ​a permanent end to the war with the U.S. have stalled, a senior Iranian official told ​Reuters on Monday, as Washington ruled out extending a temporary ceasefire agreement.

Outward progress towards ⁠peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has ground ​to a halt, threatening to extend the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched with attacks on Iran on ​February 28.

Brent crude futures climbed 27 cents, or 0.3%, to $91.14 by 0003 GMT, after rising to their highest since July 30 on Monday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 42 cents to $85.04 a barrel, after gaining more than 1% earlier ​in the session to $85.37, their highest since July 31.

“Oil has jumped to start the week as U.S.-Iran ​relations look increasingly shaky. A deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz still does not appear to be in sight, ‌and shipping ⁠numbers remain at a trickle,” said chief market analyst at KCM, Tim Waterer.

Following attacks on tankers, only five commodity vessels transited the Hormuz strait on Saturday, with none registered for Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the prior weekend.

Yemen’s Houthis attacked what they described as a Saudi military ship and four ​escort vessels in the Red ​Sea with missiles, according ⁠to the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree on Telegram.

“The dual chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb remains highly significant. These are not secondary ​concerns. They sit at the centre of the current supply-risk narrative,” KCM’s Waterer ​said.

Iran has ⁠separately been negotiating an agreement on managing the strait with Oman and says they are close to a deal. But Trump responded to those negotiations with a threat to bomb the Gulf state, a longstanding U.S. security partner.

Pre-war global oil demand sat at 103 million barrels per day, meaning the conflict erased a massive 25 days of global consumption.

In ⁠a glimmer ​of hope for diplomacy though, media reports said Trump had opened ​back-channel discussions with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

U.S. crude oil stockpiles were expected to have fallen last week alongside product inventories, a ​preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday. 

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