Islamabad: The government requested a three-day extension and appealed for a delay in any long march announcement during the second round of negotiations with Jamaat-e-Islami regarding the elimination of the petroleum levy at Punjab House on Thursday. However, JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch made it clear to the ruling delegation that the final decision regarding the march rests solely with Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman.

The JI delegation was led by Liaqat Baloch alongside Deputy Secretary Syed Firasat Shah, KP North Emir Inayatullah Khan, Lahore Emir Ziauddin Ansari, Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, and Naveed Ali Baig. The government team comprised Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, and senior bureaucrats from the petroleum and power divisions.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Liaqat Baloch stated that JI presented detailed arguments on its six key demands, reiterating that the petroleum levy must be completely abolished to provide relief to the public. He remarked that while government representatives offered vague responses and bureaucrats highlighted procedural difficulties, JI laid out six actionable areas for relief, including reducing oil refinery margins and cutting interest rates by three percent.

Baloch criticized the administration for imposing the levy to cover bad governance and inefficiency, warning that negotiations cannot continue indefinitely while sit-ins persist across the country. He asserted that if the government fails to provide tangible relief by Monday, ongoing nationwide demonstrations will march toward Islamabad, adding that the outcome of these talks will be briefed to Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman for a final determination.