Next round of govt-JI talks tomorrow

Talks between the government and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on providing relief to consumers from high petroleum prices have suffered another delay, with the government seeking an additional day to prepare for the third round of negotiations. The talks, scheduled for Monday (today), have been postponed until Tuesday (tomorrow) on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The development comes after two rounds of negotiations ended without a breakthrough. Meanwhile, the JI has retained its pressure campaign, with a long march towards Islamabad scheduled for September 20. Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal contacted JI Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch and conveyed the prime minister’s message. According to Baloch, Iqbal said that the prime minister wanted the negotiations on the petroleum levy to be held on Tuesday. Baloch said the government had constituted one committee for negotiations with the JI, while two separate committees had been formed to deal with the issues of petroleum levy and independent power producers (IPPs). He said talks on the petroleum levy would be held on Tuesday, while discussions on IPPs would take place on Wednesday. Sources said the third round of talks is expected to focus on the JI’s demands regarding the petroleum levy and the proposals being considered by the government. The two sides are also expected to discuss issues related to IPPs in a separate round. The government’s negotiating committee comprises Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani. The JI negotiating team is headed by Liaquat Baloch and includes Syed Firasat Shah, Nasrullah Randhawa, Inayatullah Khan, Ziauddin Ansari Advocate, Naveed Ali Baig and Shahid Naeem.