Govt, JI agree to form body on petroleum relief, levy reduction

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday visited a delegation of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) led by Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman and it was agreed between the two parties to form a joint committee to finalise suggestions on petroleum relief measures and petroleum levy.

The delegation comprised JI leaders Liaquat Baloch, Syed Farasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa and Inayatullah, said a news release from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the team for opting for conversation on the subject of petroleum prices.

JI delegation also conveyed its stance over removal of petroleum charge and alleviation to the masses.

The prime minister stated, “I know fully that the increase in the price of petroleum puts a burden on the people. The administration has been making strong diplomatic efforts to address the regional crisis so that the situation may return to normal, he said.

He stated the current scenario was not related to government initiatives but to the increase in oil prices due to regional and international trends.

The government was providing help to the people as per its financial capabilities and it would continue to do so, he said.

The prime minister told the team about the relief given to low income groups on petroleum items. He said 12.7 million people had been registered under the plan.

The meeting agreed that a committee of three members each from the government and Jamaat-e-Islami would come up with final recommendations on two issues — expansion of the scope of the ongoing petrol relief scheme so that more deserving people could benefit and formulation of workable proposals for phased reduction in the petroleum levy in the budget.