Govt seeks three more days in JI talks

The government on Thursday sought three more days from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as the two sides completed the second round of talks over the party’s demand for relief in petroleum prices and abolition of the petroleum levy, sources said.

The government delegation asked JI not to announce a long march towards Islamabad during the three-day period.

Speaking to the media after the meeting at Punjab House, JI Deputy Ameer Liaquat Baloch said the party wanted the government to provide relief to the public on petroleum products.

He said JI had presented six points to the government and demanded abolition of the petroleum levy.

Baloch said the government had sought three days during the earlier round of talks and the two sides held their second meeting on Thursday.

He criticised bureaucratic hurdles and said officials often presented a “mountain of difficulties” in the way of providing relief.

Baloch said power sector officials informed the JI delegation that work was also under way on issues related to independent power producers.

He said the government had imposed the petroleum levy unfairly and maintained that it had room to provide relief to consumers in at least six sectors.

The JI leader also called for reducing oil refinery margins.

He urged the government to cut the interest rate by three percentage points to ease economic pressure.

Baloch said the government failed to give satisfactory answers to several of JI’s proposals during the talks.

The two sides are expected to continue consultations after the government completes its review of JI’s demands.