The federal government on Tuesday secured a delay to Jamaat-e-Islami’s planned march on Islamabad, so the JI protest postponed after a meeting between party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Officials said a bipartisan committee will work on expanding fuel relief in response to Jamaat’s demand that the petroleum levy — a tax on fuel — be abolished.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced the outcome at a press conference with Prime Minister’s aide Rana Sanaullah. He said the prime minister and the Jamaat leader agreed on a six-member panel: three Jamaat nominees and three from the government — Mr Iqbal, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Rana Sanaullah.
What the new committee will do
Mr Iqbal said the committee would give “final shape” to fuel relief proposals. Its brief covers widening the government’s relief scheme so more “deserving people” can benefit, and drafting “concrete proposals to phase out levies for the next budget”.
He said roughly 12.5 million citizens nationwide are already on the scheme. While affirming every party’s right to protest, he argued that regional conditions called for peace and internal stability. He also said Pakistan was helping ease Middle East tensions, including by facilitating talks between the United States and Iran, in the hope that calmer markets would bring down global oil prices and allow more relief at home.
Rana Sanaullah said the government was providing relief to ordinary and poor citizens “to whatever extent possible” and wanted that help to remain targeted so those who need it most receive the most support. He praised Jamaat’s focus on the common man and expressed hope that its leadership would keep the sensitive regional picture in view.
Jamaat’s conditions and warning
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman told reporters that Jamaat had given the government seven to 10 days to meet its demands. He said the party would march on Islamabad in mid-November if the fuel levy was not abolished by then.
“Our sit-ins are continuing and so is our long march,” he said, calling the petroleum levy an unjustified tax that must go. He added that nationwide mobilisation for the capital march would continue even as negotiations proceed.
He described the PM meeting with Jamaat as not empty of results, because both sides accepted the need for public relief. The gap, he said, is timing: the government prefers a phase-wise approach to the levy, while Jamaat wants immediate results.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Tuesday: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman meets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad; the government says Jamaat has agreed to defer the Islamabad march; a six-member bipartisan committee is announced.
- Same day: Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah brief the media on expanding fuel relief and preparing levy phase-out ideas for the next budget; Jamaat restates its demand for full abolition of the petroleum levy.
- Within 7–10 days: Deadline Jamaat says it has set for the government to address its fuel-levy demands.
- Mid-November: Date Jamaat says it will march on Islamabad if the petroleum levy is not abolished.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Jamaat-e-Islami ne Islamabad march thori der ke liye rok diya hai, PM se mulaqat ke baad. Hukumat ne fuel relief barhane ke liye committee bana di hai, lekin Jamaat ab bhi petroleum levy khatam chahti hai. Agar sat se das din mein demand poori na hui, to mid-November mein dubara march ka elaan hai. Aam logon ke liye abhi relief scheme chal rahi hai, aur baat cheet jari rahegi.
