ISLAMABAD: A government committee will hold a second round of talks today, Monday, to discuss demands laid down by the leaders of a Pakistani religious political party protesting in the garrison city of Rawalpindi against inflation and the imposition of new taxes, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan said.
Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party supporters have camped at Rawalpindi’s historic Liaqat Bagh ground since Friday to demand the government revoke additional taxes introduced in the federal budget presented last month, among other demands.
JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has demanded a reduction in power tariffs recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and a review of Pakistan’s loss-making agreements with independent power producers (IPPs). Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar announced on Sunday that the government has formed a technical committee to hold talks with protesters and resolve their demands.
“Second session of dialogue between the government and Jamat-e-Islami will be held today to sort out issues regarding electricity and other matters,” Radio Pakistan said.
The government’s technical committee would comprise the minister of water and energy, the secretary of energy, and representatives from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the finance ministry, Tarar had said.
The government established a separate three-member committee on Friday to negotiate with JI leaders after the party reported that hundreds of its members had been arrested by law enforcement agencies. The JI presented its list of demands to the government during a round of talks on Saturday night.
While opposition parties and traders have criticized the government’s move to introduce a tax-heavy budget last month, authorities have said they are taking steps to reduce expenses by state-owned enterprises and create fiscal space by digitizing the FBR.
Liaqat Baloch, head of the JI negotiation team, said on Sunday that the first round of talks was held in a “positive environment” and expressed the resolve to continue the sit-in until the party’s demands were met.
“The government committee has promised to discuss our demands in a technical committee and will get back to us tomorrow,” he said. “Our protest and sit-in will continue until we achieve positive results for the people.”
Baloch hoped the government would show seriousness in addressing the public’s demands.
“Otherwise, this force of people will compel them to take our demands seriously,” he added.
Speaking about the arrested JI workers, Baloch said the government committee had assured them of their release.
“Thirty-five of our members are still detained, but the government committee assured us they will be released soon as we have provided the list,” he said.
