Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif asked Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for an additional 7 to 10 days to consider its demand to eliminate the petroleum levy, JI chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad after meeting the prime minister, Hafiz Naeem stated the party would no longer delay its march on the capital.
The protest is now slated for mid-November if the government does not abolish the levy and provide relief to the public.
"We will not postpone our Islamabad march any longer. It will take place in mid-November, and it certainly will take place," he said.
Disagreement Over How to End the Levy
The JI leader noted that both sides concurred on widening relief for citizens but differed on the method. He said the government prefers a gradual phase-out, while JI wants an immediate removal.
He alleged the government collects about Rs. 150 billion each month from the petroleum levy and labeled it "extortion" amid rising inflation.
Hafiz Naeem urged the authorities to announce a relief package and create a mechanism to end the levy before the march, adding JI was "prepared for anything."
Who Attended the Meeting
The JI delegation comprised Deputy Emir Liaquat Baloch, Deputy Secretary General Syed Farasat Shah, and Islamabad chapter chief Nasrullah Randhawa.
Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Senator Rana Sanaullah, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani.
JI has been demonstrating against the levy for more than two months as fuel prices stay high. In September, the party halted its long march at the prime minister's request after its convoy reached Multan.