Pakistan Government, Jamaat-e-Islami Form Committees to Discuss Relief Measures

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The government of Pakistan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) agreed Thursday to form committees to deliberate on measures aimed at providing public relief amidst rising inflation and petroleum prices. Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal announced that the government had already established its committee and requested JI to form its own team of experts. This development occurred as JI continued its nationwide protest against the petroleum levy, inflation, and high electricity prices. JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman stated that the party’s sit-ins, which have entered their 19th day and spread to 15 to 20 cities, would continue alongside negotiations, believing this approach would make talks more effective. During the meeting, JI presented demands including the withdrawal of the petroleum levy, termination of independent power producer (IPP) agreements, and a reduction in electricity prices. Iqbal indicated the government would happily act upon recommendations from these joint committees. The government currently levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman claimed that Rs8 trillion had been collected under the petroleum levy and asserted that 90 to 95 percent of Pakistanis are struggling to meet basic needs, with poverty increasing by 33 percent. He also called for the price of bread to be reduced to Rs10. The nationwide strike received a mixed response, with partial closures in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while businesses largely remained open in Punjab and Balochistan. Separately, six JI workers were arrested in Karachi on Wednesday for allegedly setting motorcycles and tires on fire to obstruct traffic at Korangi Crossing. Police reported that the arrested workers obtained old motorcycles and tires from a junk dealer for this purpose. A first information report was registered against the suspects under the anti-terror law. JI distanced itself from the incident, alleging the government was employing cheap tactics to suppress its protest.

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