Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami agree to form a six-member committee to expand the petroleum relief scheme and prepare proposals for a phased reduction in the petroleum levy.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman have agreed to form a joint committee to recommend measures to expand the government’s petroleum relief scheme and prepare proposals for a phased reduction in the petroleum levy.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between the prime minister and a JI delegation led by Rehman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad on Tuesday, according to an official statement issued by the PMO Press Wing.
The delegation included JI leaders Liaqat Baloch, Syed Farasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa and Inayatullah.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance and Revenue Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah and Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kiani also attended the meeting.
Shehbaz thanked the JI delegation for opting for negotiations over petroleum product prices. The party expressed its position on abolishing the petroleum levy and providing relief to the public.
The prime minister said the government fully understood the burden imposed on the public by increases in petroleum prices.
Referring to the relief measures introduced for low-income groups in response to the prevailing regional situation, Shehbaz said the government was making full diplomatic efforts to resolve the regional crisis and restore normalcy.
He said the current crisis was not linked to government policies but stemmed from increases in oil prices amid regional and international circumstances.
The prime minister added that the government was providing relief to the public within its financial capacity and would continue to do so.
Shehbaz also briefed the delegation on the petroleum-related relief extended to low-income groups so far. He said 12.7 million people had registered under the scheme.
During the meeting, both sides agreed that a six-member committee, comprising three representatives each from the government and Jamaat-e-Islami, would present final recommendations on two key measures.
The committee will propose ways to expand the ongoing petrol relief scheme to ensure that more deserving people can benefit from it. It will also prepare workable proposals for the upcoming budget to facilitate a phased reduction in the petroleum levy.
The prime minister nominated Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah to represent the government on the committee.
The official statement did not name the three Jamaat-e-Islami representatives nominated for the committee.
The proposed recommendations are aimed at extending relief to eligible citizens while considering the government’s financial capacity and the possibility of gradually reducing the petroleum levy.
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