ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Talks between the government and Jamaat-e-Islami on removing the petroleum levy and easing fuel costs have reached their final stage, the party’s acting chief Liaquat Baloch said after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday.
Baloch said the government had accepted that the party’s demands were valid, and that the two sides had agreed on relief for agriculture, public transport and certain categories of vehicles. He said the government would complete its work on oil refinery profits and the gradual elimination of the levy, and that a working paper would follow on Tuesday.
The government’s own account was more cautious. A Foreign Office statement described candid discussions on practical ways to help low-income citizens, and said both sides had agreed to continue consultations over the coming days on petroleum pricing and public relief. It did not mention ending the levy.
Baloch said party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman would announce the next steps after reviewing the final draft agreement. The two sides formed a committee on fuel relief last week after the party’s nationwide protest campaign.
Any move would be significant for the budget. The levy target for this financial year, agreed with the International Monetary Fund, is Rs1.73 trillion. Our editorial on Tuesday argued for a fairer levy, and for taxing those who currently pay little, so a future government has room to cut it.
