The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the federal government have agreed on the broad outlines of a draft agreement to provide relief to petroleum consumers, following their 10th round of negotiations.
However, JI has warned that it could resume its long march toward Islamabad if the talks fail to produce a concrete agreement on abolishing the petroleum levy.
Speaking after Tuesday's meeting in Islamabad, JI Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch said both sides had agreed on the need to expand existing relief measures, particularly for low-income households.
The government also plans to consult the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on continuing the relief and gradually reducing the levy.
JI Seeks Petroleum Levy Abolition Baloch said JI had proposed extending relief to vehicles with engines of up to 1,000cc and the agricultural sector.
He added that the government had acknowledged the legitimacy of the party's demand to abolish the petroleum levy. &8220;Our demand is that the levy should be abolished immediately and the public should be given clear relief,&8221; Baloch said.
He criticized the government for refusing to reduce its own expenditures while shifting the burden of the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) failures onto consumers.
He said the government had started developing a plan to meet its revenue requirements and would share a framework for gradually reducing the levy after consultations with the IMF.
Further details of the proposed agreement are expected in the coming days. PM Meeting Could Determine Long March Baloch said another round of negotiations was expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
A final decision on the proposed agreement could follow a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. The party will decide whether to resume its planned long march after that meeting.
Baloch said JI remained committed to peaceful political engagement but would withdraw from negotiations if the government showed no willingness to move forward.
He also claimed that the party's protests had helped prevent petroleum price increases and secured relief of Rs. 146 per liter on diesel and Rs. 120 per liter on petrol. He said the negotiations had reached the stage of final decisions.
Government Confirms Further Consultations The government also confirmed the negotiations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a follow-up meeting with a JI delegation led by Baloch to discuss petroleum prices and consumer relief, according to a statement from the Deputy Prime Minister's Office.
The statement said both sides held constructive discussions on measures to support consumers, particularly low-income households.
Dar welcomed the positive engagement and reiterated the government's commitment to supporting ordinary households amid economic challenges.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, the special secretary of the Petroleum Division, an additional secretary of the Finance Division, and JI delegation members Syed Firasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa, and Inayatullah Khan.
How JI&8217;s Petroleum Levy Campaign Began JI's campaign against the petroleum levy intensified in August, when the party organized demonstrations and sit-ins across Pakistan against rising fuel prices, inflation, and what it described as an additional tax burden on consumers.
On August 16, party workers staged sit-ins outside governors' houses in provincial capitals, demanding the withdrawal of the levy and lower petrol prices.
On September 3, the government and JI agreed to establish technical committees to examine proposals for reducing the petroleum levy and fuel prices.
During their first round of negotiations on September 7, JI submitted six proposals but insisted that protests would continue until meaningful relief was delivered.