Next round of JI-govt talks on petroleum levy rescheduled for Tuesday

The third round of discussions between the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and the government, aimed at eliminating the petroleum levy, is rescheduled for September 15 (Tuesday) due to an extension request from the government, reported the party on Sunday. Initially planned for Monday, the meeting was moved to Tuesday at the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's request, according to the JI's statement.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal informed the JI Vice President Liaquat Baloch of the government's message, adding that talks on independent power producers (IPPs) will occur on Wednesday. Baloch emphasized that during the negotiations, JI will express its position on the petroleum levy and IPPs. Thus far, two rounds of talks have been held, initiated after both parties agreed to form committees of experts to recommend measures for reducing the petroleum levy and providing public relief.

The government imposes Rs114 per liter in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per liter on diesel. In their first meeting on September 7, JI presented six key proposals to the government committee, stressing that the direct Rs80 petroleum levy per liter on petrol and diesel severely impacts the national economy. JI has been staging peaceful sit-ins and protests across the country since August 16, and Baloch clarified that these demonstrations will persist while negotiations continue.

The government's recent attempts to engage with JI began in response to the nationwide protests against the petroleum levy, which JI has been organizing since August 16. On Saturday, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman cautioned the government that if the levy is not withdrawn, the ongoing protest will march towards Islamabad on September 20.