Govt, JI agree to form committees to explore relief measures

The government and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) agreed to form committees on Thursday to discuss relief measures amid rising inflation and petroleum prices. Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated that the government had already created a committee and asked JI to form its own team of experts. The discussions took place during a joint press conference with JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah.

The protest against petroleum levy, inflation, and high electricity prices continued nationwide, with mixed responses from markets and shops. A government delegation, including Iqbal, Sanaullah, and Punjab Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique, met with JI leadership at the party's headquarters in Lahore. The JI delegation, led by Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch, consisted of Farasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa, Ziauddin Ansari, and Naveed Ali Baig.

They presented demands including the withdrawal of petroleum levy, termination of IPP agreements, and reduced electricity prices. The government acknowledged the legitimacy of the demands but maintained that petroleum prices should be viewed in the context of international market conditions. Iqbal emphasized that both parties wanted to provide relief for the people and the government would consider the JI's proposals on the petroleum levy.

The policy rate fell from 23.5% to 11.5%, and the government criticized the economic challenges inherited from previous administrations. Talks between the government and JI would commence on Monday, with teams from the Federal Board of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Petroleum working together to find relief measures.