Fresh negotiations are being pursued as Jamaat-e-Islami prepares nationwide sit-ins demanding the levy’s abolition and lower fuel costs.
ISLAMABAD — WEB DESK: The federal government is pursuing renewed talks with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) over the petroleum levy as the party prepares to launch the third phase of its nationwide protest campaign on October 23, with sit-ins planned at district headquarters across Pakistan.
The negotiations come amid a continuing disagreement over fuel taxation and the party’s demand for the complete abolition of the petroleum levy. JI has said its protest campaign will continue unless the government addresses its demands for relief from fuel prices and inflation.
JI plans nationwide protests from October 23
JI announced that the third phase of its campaign would begin on Friday, October 23. The party plans to hold sit-ins across districts and continue its signature campaign against the levy.
JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has maintained that abolishing the petroleum levy should be the central agenda of any meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The party has also indicated that it wants written assurances from the government before deciding whether to change its protest strategy
Government contact over proposed meeting
According to JI’s account, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, who heads the government’s negotiating committee, and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah contacted JI Vice Emir Liaquat Baloch to convey the prime minister’s request for a meeting.
The party said both sides had agreed that their respective committees would coordinate a schedule for the proposed meeting. However, a JI spokesperson said no further contact had taken place after that understanding.
The latest developments follow earlier discussions between the government and JI on proposals to reduce the levy and provide economic relief. In September, the party submitted six proposals during negotiations, while the government said it would examine workable recommendations.
Petroleum levy remains the central dispute
JI argues that the levy contributes to the financial burden on households already facing higher living costs. The party has called for its complete withdrawal and lower petrol prices.
According to a report, the federal government was collecting Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel at that time. These figures refer to the reported combined taxes and duties, not necessarily the petroleum levy alone.
The government has previously said it is willing to consider workable proposals, while also pointing to economic constraints and the need to assess recommendations involving multiple ministries. No confirmed agreement to abolish the levy has been announced in the cited reports.
