{
  "id": 8291139,
  "title": "Govt reaches out to JI, invites party to another round of talks to break deadlock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/govt-reaches-out-to-ji-invites-party-to-another-round-of-talks-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T18:52:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2030918/govt-reaches-out-to-ji-invites-party-to-another-round-of-talks-to-break-deadlock"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal reached out to Jamaat-i-Islami Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch and extended an invitation for another round of talks to address the party's demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy. This development comes as JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman finalizes preparations for a march on Islamabad on September 20 against the levy. Baloch stated he would respond to the invitation after consulting with the party chief and senior leadership, but emphasized that the JI's protest movement would persist until the levy was eliminated.\n\nThe latest contact followed multiple rounds of negotiations between the government and JI, with the most recent one held in Islamabad on September 16. JI Chief Rehman argued that the protest movement aimed to secure immediate economic relief for the country, asserting that fiscal reforms proposed by the party could save between Rs3 trillion and Rs4 trillion annually. During a press conference in Islamabad, Rehman criticized the surge in fuel costs and heavy taxation, as well as the government's reliance on levies to meet revenue targets, rather than reducing state expenditure.\n\nRehman also announced a nationwide \"super long march\" towards the capital city, commencing on September 20, criticizing the government for failing to address the core burdens faced by the public. He called for the abolition of the petroleum levy, removal of non-productive capacity payments to independent power producers and regasification plants, and a fixed petrol price of Rs225 per litre. The JI leader suggested an immediate three percentage points cut in the benchmark interest rate, noting that each percentage point reduction would save the exchequer approximately Rs574 billion.\n\nRehman highlighted the growing public support for the party's movement, expressing that it was receiving endorsement from farmer alliances and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over their respective demonstrations. He assured the public that the self-funded march would not involve road blocks or disrupt daily life, but the JI leadership warned against halts in negotiations if the government failed to present actionable proposals.",
  "summary": "LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Friday contacted Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch and invited the party to another round of talks over its demand for the abolition of the petroleum levy. The government’s renewed contact came as JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman finalised preparations for the party’s Sept 20 march on Islamabad against the levy. According to the JI,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "Govt reaches out to JI, invites party to another round of talks to break deadlock",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/govt-reaches-out-to-ji-invites-party-to-another-round-of-talks-to-8292079",
        "published": "2026-09-18T18:52:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}