Independent report
ISLAMABAD: The government and Jamaat-e-Islami will hold the final round of negotiations today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on abolishing the petroleum levy and reducing petroleum product prices.
Jamaat-e-Islami Naib Ameer Liaquat Baloch, leading the party’s delegation, said nine rounds of talks had already been held, with public relief remaining the party’s primary demand. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will head the government committee, which also includes Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah.
Liaquat Baloch said the party had proposed extending the relief scheme to vehicles up to 1,000cc and the agriculture sector. He urged the government to abolish the petroleum levy, reduce the burden of rising energy costs and seek necessary arrangements with the IMF to sustain public relief.
He said a decision on a possible long march would depend on the outcome of negotiations. Further talks are expected next Wednesday or Thursday, while a final decision on the proposed agreement may follow a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.
