Jamaat-e-Islami says talks on petroleum levy are in final stage — Dawn

In Pakistan, talks between the government and the Jamaat-e-Islami party on the petroleum levy have entered their final stage. Deputy party leader Liaqat Baloch said that responsibility for the successful conclusion of the consultations lies with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Party demands

Baloch said that Jamaat-e-Islami had given the talks a chance and sought a peaceful settlement. According to him, the party’s goal is not temporary but lasting relief for consumers, which could revive economic activity.

The politician warned that the party would consider it justified to hold a protest march if the government does not provide relief to people. He also said that previous rounds of talks and the prime minister’s meeting with the Jamaat-e-Islami leader gave grounds to believe that the government would support consumers and gradually abolish the levy, which the party calls unfair.

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Technical committee

Baloch contacted Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the head of the government negotiating group, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, urging them to complete the decision-making process. Dar said that he was attending a meeting with visiting foreign diplomatic representatives and would inform them about the government’s next steps the following day.

A joint technical committee was established to prepare proposals for settling the issue. Earlier, experts from both sides met at the Finance Ministry, but Jamaat-e-Islami representatives told Baloch that they were still awaiting government directives needed for a final decision on the levy. Dawn reports.