JI gives govt 7-10 days on petroleum levy, keeps mid-November march
Jamaat-e-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman met PM Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday over the petroleum levy. He said the government asked for 7 to 10 days and that the party's Islamabad march remains planned for mid-November.
- JI chief met PM Shehbaz Sharif on October 27 over the petroleum levy and inflation.
- The government sought 7 to 10 days to decide, according to the JI chief.
- Both sides agreed to form a joint committee on fuel relief and a phased cut in the levy.
- JI says its Islamabad march will not be postponed from mid-November.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad on Tuesday, October 27, to discuss the petroleum levy, rising inflation and the financial pressure on ordinary citizens. The JI delegation included Vice Chief Liaquat Baloch.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Naeem said the government had asked for another 7 to 10 days to decide on the levy. Business Recorder reported that he said the party had given the government that time to provide relief and make progress towards abolishing the levy.
He said the party's planned long march to Islamabad remained on schedule for mid-November and would not be postponed. According to Geo News, he demanded a mechanism to abolish the levy before the march. Daily Times reported that he warned the party would intensify its protests if its demands were not met.
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said the government and JI agreed to form expert committees to recommend measures for reducing the petroleum levy and easing the burden on the public, as reported by 24 News. The channel also reported that the prime minister and the JI delegation agreed on a joint committee to recommend wider fuel relief and a phased reduction in the levy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Daily Times reported, citing sources, that negotiating committees of the federal government and JI had reached consensus on an operational framework for reducing the levy, aimed at providing financial relief to citizens.
The meeting followed a warning on Monday, when Naeem said at a press conference that the party would march on Islamabad in mid-November if the levy was not abolished. The Express Tribune reported that he acknowledged the government had given some relief in petroleum prices after the party's protests, and that JI would continue its campaign until its demands were accepted.
On Monday he also condemned the imposition of an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, calling it a violation of human rights and demanding its withdrawal. On Wednesday, Daily Pakistan Urdu reported that JI held protest sit-ins across South Punjab against the levy, with Naeem addressing them by telephone.
Why it matters
The petroleum levy adds to the fuel prices paid by every household and transport user in Pakistan. Any cut agreed between the government and JI would affect those prices.
