Govt, JI agree to form committees on petroleum levy relief Govt, JI agree to form committees on petroleum levy relief S Staff Report September 3, 2026 3 min read Govt, JI agree to form committees on petroleum levy relief Size A A A A A A A A Font Sans Serif Serif Classic Modern Full screen LAHORE: The federal government and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Thursday agreed to form separate expert committees to examine measures for reducing the petroleum levy and providing relief to consumers, with the two sides aiming to reach a workable solution within two weeks. The decision was announced at a joint press conference by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah and JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman following a meeting between government representatives and the JI leadership in Lahore. Mr Iqbal said the government would constitute an expert committee, while the JI had also been asked to form a team to examine the petroleum levy and recommend practical measures for reducing the burden on the public. “The government will happily act upon recommendations put forward by these committees,” he said, adding that both sides agreed on the need to provide relief to the people. The minister said the government would present its position before the committees and take action on recommendations emerging from the discussions. The government currently collects Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. Mr Iqbal stressed that national interest would remain the government’s priority, saying Pakistan would not allow any foreign element to exploit internal instability. “We have to work together for internal peace and stability,” he said. He added that the JI had assured the government it would not make any demand contrary to the country’s interests. Speaking on the occasion, Hafiz Naeem said the petroleum levy and other public issues had been discussed during the meeting with the government delegation. He said Thursday marked the 19th consecutive day of JI sit-ins against the petroleum levy at more than 20 locations across the country. “There is no personal agenda behind the sit-ins; it is based on issues faced by the public on a daily basis, along with other major problems,” he said. The JI emir said ordinary citizens were bearing a disproportionate tax burden on petroleum products, particularly those from lower-income groups. “A common bike rider, whose income is non-taxable, is paying 35pc in taxes on every litre of petrol,” he said. Hafiz Naeem said the JI had agreed to constitute an expert committee headed by Liaquat Baloch. Naveed Ali Baig, Ziaddun Ansari, Nasrullah Randhawa and Farasat Shah would also be part of the committee. “Primarily, we think that the petroleum levy should be abolished and petroleum prices should be lowered,” he said. He assured the government that the party would not make “obstinate demands” during the negotiations. The JI chief said the government delegation had requested the party to postpone its sit-ins, but the party had decided to continue its protests while negotiations proceeded. Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah said the committees constituted by the government and the JI were expected to reach a workable solution within two weeks. Ad powered by advergic.com He reiterated that the government would act upon the recommendations agreed upon by the committees. The JI had announced on August 16 that it would hold sit-ins in provincial capitals to protest the petroleum levy and subsequently called for a nationwide strike on September 3.