JI and government reschedule petroleum levy talks to September 15

Jamaat-i-Islami confirmed that the third round of talks with the government on abolishing the petroleum levy is now set for Tuesday, September 15, after the prime minister requested a postponement from the originally planned Monday. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal communicated the new schedule to JI Vice President Liaquat Baloch, who will also present the party’s position on independent power producers in a separate session on Wednesday.

This negotiation series began after both sides formed expert committees to explore ways to cut the levy, which currently adds Rs114 per litre to petrol and Rs100 per litre to diesel. The first meeting on September 7 saw JI submit six proposals and warn that the Rs80 per litre levy is harming the economy. Ongoing peaceful protests in Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and other cities have pressured the government, and JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has threatened a march on Islamabad on September 20 if the levy remains.