- Govt, JI committees meet Friday to discuss petroleum levy.
- JI announces third phase of nationwide protests from Oct 23.
- JI plans sit-ins in all districts against petroleum levy.
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has contacted Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Vice Emir Liaquat Baloch as the government and the opposition party’s negotiating committees prepare to meet in Islamabad on Friday to discuss the petroleum levy.
The meeting will discuss the petroleum levy issue, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman are also scheduled to meet, JI Vice Emir Liaquat Baloch said.
The government’s renewed contact came after JI announced that it will launch the third phase of its nationwide protest movement against the petroleum levy on Friday (October 23), with sit-ins planned in all districts across the country.
The federal govt and JI had agreed to form committees in early September, when the party planned a nationwide strike, to recommend measures to reduce the petroleum levy.
However, on September 22, JI chief Naeem announced that the party was postponing its long march, whose convoy had reached Multan, at the request of PM Shehbaz, pending a meeting with him.
At the time, the JI chief said PM Shehbaz had asked the party to postpone its march and invited its leadership for talks after his return to Pakistan.
Hafiz Naeem had said JI would meet the prime minister but would not abandon its protest movement, which seeks relief for the public through lower fuel prices and the abolition of the petroleum levy.
JI had earlier staged sit-ins at 510 locations across the country and observed a shutdown strike as part of its campaign against rising fuel prices and inflation.
The party has maintained that it would seek written assurances from the government before deciding its future course of action.
