Govt reaches out to JI, invites party to another round of talks to break deadlock

Govt reaches out to JI, invites party to another round of talks to break deadlock

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, Iqbal invited the JI committee, led by Baloch, to talks on Saturday. Baloch said he would respond to the invitation after consulting the party chief and senior leadership. He, however, made it clear that the JI’s protest movement would continue until the petroleum levy was abolished. The latest contact came after several rounds of talks between the government and the JI. The government delegation had initially travelled to Mansoora in Lahore to invite the JI for negotiations, while four subsequent rounds were held in Islamabad. The last round took place on Wednesday, Sept 16. JI claims its proposals can save trillions JI chief Rehman on Friday said the party’s protest movement aimed to press the government for immediate economic relief, asserting that the national exchequer could save between Rs3 trillion and Rs4 trillion if the authorities adopted the party’s proposed fiscal reforms. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the JI chief voiced sharp criticism of rising fuel costs and heavy taxation, as well as what he characterised as superficial relief packages that failed to address the core burdens facing the public. Rehman announced that a nationwide “super long march” towards the federal capital would commence on September 20. He rejected the government’s argument that recent energy and fuel price hikes were strictly attributable to international market forces, saying the authorities were relying on aggressive levies to meet revenue targets rather than reducing state expenditure. The JI chief noted that local fuel prices had risen significantly faster than those in neighbouring countries during recent regional tensions, disproportionately affecting lower- and middle-income households that rely heavily on smaller vehicles. Calling for an end to guaranteed profit margins for oil marketing companies at the expense of consumers, Rehman reiterated the JI’s demands to abolish the petroleum levy, end non-productive capacity payments to independent power producers (IPPs) and regasification plants, and fix the price of petrol at Rs225 per litre. Outlining key economic measures, the JI emir called for an immediate cut of three percentage points in the benchmark interest rate, pointing out that every one-percentage-point reduction would save the exchequer approximately Rs574 billion. He said the government must stop protecting commercial bank profits and instead work towards systematically eliminating interest from the national economy. “The public’s support for the party’s movement is growing,” Rehman said, confirming ongoing dialogue and mutual political support with farmers’ alliances and PTI over their respective demonstrations. “The September 20 demonstration will involve caravans travelling to Islamabad from across Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, including a dedicated contingent travelling by train from Karachi,” he said. Rehman assured the public that the self-funded march would not involve road blockades or cause unnecessary disruption to daily life, adding that its arrangements would not obstruct students appearing for the upcoming Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT). While expressing readiness for immediate talks if the government presented actionable proposals, the JI leadership warned that stalling tactics would not be tolerated as public mobilisation intensified.