Government Reopens Petroleum Levy Talks With Jamaat-e-Islami

The federal government has reopened negotiations with Jamaat-e-Islami over the petroleum levy as the party prepares to begin another phase of nationwide demonstrations. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal contacted JI Vice Emir Liaquat Baloch ahead of formal talks scheduled to take place in Islamabad on Friday.

Negotiating committees representing both sides are expected to discuss possible relief from the levy and the wider effect of fuel costs on the public. Baloch said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman are also scheduled to meet, raising the talks to the highest political level.

The renewed contact follows JI’s announcement that it will launch the third phase of its protest campaign on October 23. The party plans to hold sit-ins in districts across Pakistan while continuing to demand lower fuel prices and the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.

Government and JI representatives initially formed separate negotiating committees in early September to examine possible levy reductions. The two sides agreed to develop recommendations that could offer relief to consumers, but the discussions did not produce an agreement acceptable to the opposition party.

The dispute escalated in September when JI launched a long march that travelled from Karachi and reached Multan. Hafiz Naeem postponed the march on September 22 after the prime minister requested more time for direct discussions, but he made clear that suspending the convoy did not mean ending the party’s campaign.

JI has already organised sit-ins at hundreds of locations and previously supported a nationwide shutdown as part of its movement against fuel taxation and inflation. Party leaders argue that petroleum charges increase transportation expenses and ultimately raise the prices of essential goods, placing a disproportionate burden on ordinary households.

The government must now assess demands for immediate consumer relief alongside the revenue generated through the petroleum levy. Any reduction would require a workable fiscal alternative, while failure to reach an understanding could trigger another round of coordinated demonstrations and traffic disruption across the country.

JI has maintained that verbal commitments will not be sufficient and wants written assurances before reconsidering its protest programme. Friday’s committee meeting and the proposed discussion between the prime minister and JI chief will determine whether negotiations can produce a concrete settlement before the planned district-level sit-ins proceed.