Talks between the federal government and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on removing the petroleum levy—a government charge built into petrol and diesel pump prices—and on wider consumer relief have entered a final stage, according to both sides after a meeting on Tuesday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar hosted a JI delegation led by Acting JI Emir Liaquat Baloch. A Foreign Office statement said the two sides discussed practical steps to ease the burden on ordinary citizens, especially low-income households hit by rising energy costs, and agreed to keep consulting in the coming days on petroleum pricing and public relief.
Some accounts of the same engagement have described the outcome as a stalemate. The Foreign Office and Baloch, however, framed the meeting as progress toward a way forward rather than a breakdown.
What officials and JI said after the meeting
Dar, the Foreign Office said, restated the government’s focus on public welfare and on helping ordinary citizens amid global economic pressures. He also stressed that sustained dialogue across parties is needed to manage Pakistan’s economic challenges.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives; the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Inter-Provincial Coordination; Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa; the Secretary Finance; and the Special Secretary Petroleum.
Relief areas and next steps
Speaking at a press conference after the negotiations, Liaquat Baloch said discussions on petroleum levy removal and public relief had reached their final stage. He said the government had accepted that JI’s demands for relief and for removing the levy were valid, following the party’s nationwide protest campaign and its presentation of six demands.
Baloch said the two sides had agreed on relief for the agriculture sector, public transport and certain categories of vehicles. He added that the government would complete its working on oil refinery profits and on a gradual elimination of the petroleum levy on Monday, with a working paper to be prepared on Tuesday. After a review of the final draft agreement, he said, JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman would announce the party’s future course of action.
No final cut in the petroleum levy or new pump prices was announced at the meeting itself. Both sides left the door open to further talks on energy pricing and how relief would be delivered.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Nationwide JI protest campaign and presentation of six demands, including public relief and petroleum levy removal (date not specified in the available accounts).
- Tuesday: Ishaq Dar meets JI delegation led by Liaquat Baloch; Foreign Office says consultations on pricing and relief will continue.
- Monday (as stated by Baloch): government to complete working on oil refinery profits and gradual petroleum levy elimination.
- Tuesday (as stated by Baloch): working paper to be prepared; after review of a final draft, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman to set out JI’s next steps.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Hakumat aur Jamaat-e-Islami petroleum levy hataane aur mehngai ke relief par baat kar rahe hain, aur yeh baatain ab aakhri marhale mein hain. Ishaq Dar ne Liaquat Baloch ki team se Tuesday ko mulaqaat ki. Kheti, public transport aur kuch gaariyon ke liye relief par ittifaq hua hai, lekin pump rate abhi final nahi hue. Jab draft agreement review hoga, tab Jamaat apna agla faisla batayegi—aam aadmi ke liye asar tab clear hoga jab levy aur rates par amal shuru ho.
