The government and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) are set to sit again on November 3 to negotiate a gradual withdrawal of the petroleum levy—the federal charge added to petrol and diesel prices—and other steps meant to lighten the cost of fuel for ordinary households.
JI Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch said the date was locked in after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar contacted him. Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal also telephoned Baloch and said preparations for the meeting were being completed.
What the November 3 talks will cover
According to Baloch, the session will centre on a phased reduction of the petroleum levy and on measures to help people coping with higher fuel prices. The parties are expected to continue work already framed around public relief rather than a one-off announcement.
No new rate, timeline for cuts, or final package has been announced. What is clear from Baloch’s account is that both the levy itself and broader relief options remain on the table when the two sides meet.
How the meeting was arranged
Baloch attributed confirmation of November 3 to Dar’s outreach. Iqbal’s call, he said, focused on logistics: that arrangements for the negotiations were being finalised. Together, those contacts signal that both the political leadership and the planning ministry are treating the JI channel as active ahead of the scheduled round.
The six-member committee
The fresh talks follow an earlier understanding between the government and JI to form a six-member committee—three nominees from each side. That body was tasked with drafting proposals to widen the existing fuel relief scheme and to reduce the levy in stages.
The November 3 meeting is described as another round in that process, not a first contact. Whether the committee’s proposals will be tabled, revised, or only discussed in outline has not been spelled out publicly beyond Baloch’s summary of the agenda.
For now, the concrete commitment on record is the date, the dual focus on the petroleum levy and public relief, and the earlier six-member structure meant to shape those proposals.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hakumat aur Jamaat-e-Islami 3 November ko dubara baat cheet karenge. Woh petroleum levy—petrol aur diesel par sarkari charge—ko dheere dheere kam karne ki baat karenge. Pehle se bani chheh-rukni committee fuel relief scheme barhane ke proposals bhi dekhegi. Agar levy kam ho aur relief barhe to aam logon ke fuel kharche kuch halkay ho sakte hain.
