Ahsan Iqbal offers briefing to JI amid petrol price protest

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday held a telephone conversation with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Deputy Chief Liaquat Baloch and offered to brief the party on the country’s situation amid its protests against the petroleum levy and rising fuel prices.

The development comes a day after JI staged nationwide protests against inflation, higher fuel prices, the petroleum levy and taxes. Demonstrations, sit-ins and rallies disrupted traffic on major highways and roads in several cities.

During the telephone conversation, Ahsan Iqbal offered to brief Liaquat Baloch on the prevailing situation in the country. The two leaders also discussed the political situation and other matters of mutual interest.

Liaquat Baloch, however, called on the government to end what he described as profiteering and extortion through petroleum products.

He said JI’s protest campaign would succeed and provide relief to the public.

Earlier, JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had demanded that the government abolish the petroleum levy, reduce petrol prices and cancel all agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Addressing a large rally organised by the party’s women’s wing, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said a forensic audit of IPPs would expose the alleged involvement of major political figures.

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He criticised what he called the “IPPs mafia” for exploiting the public, claiming that billions of rupees had been extracted in the name of electricity costs.

He also highlighted the burden of heavy taxes on around 30 million motorcyclists, describing the petroleum levy as “extortion” and saying that rising taxes were placing an increasing financial burden on the public.