Jamaat-e-Islami 'defers' protest sit-in after successful negotiations with govt

The Jamaat-e-Islami has announced "deferring" its nearly 14 days-long protest sit-in after successful negotiations with the government over demands including slashing high power tariff and reviewing agreements with independent power producers (IPPs). 

The announcement came late Thursday after the conclusion of the fifth round of talks with the government's negotiation team at Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi. 

"We are deferring and not ending the sit-in," announced JI Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, adding that he would formally announce the decision to defer the protest demonstration today at a rally.

The JI chief warned that his party would stage a sit-in again if the government failed to implement on the party's demands.

Rehman said the JI would hold a rally on Islamabad highway today (Friday) where he said future course of action would be announced. 

The agreements with the IPPs are under the spotlight as people are paying hefty bills blamed on capacity payments being made to independent power producers. The JI had staged its sit-in against inflation and agreements with the IPPs, which was also held in Karachi since Saturday.

What are JI's demands?

• Abolition of Petroleum Development Levy on all petroleum products and withdrawal of latest increase in prices of these products.
• 20% reduction in prices of food commodities, electricity and gas tariffs.
• Renegotiation of agreements with independent power producers (IPPs)
• End clause of agreement with IPPs on making payments in US dollars.
• 50% discount should be granted to power consumers of 500 units
• Reduction in taxes on agriculture and industrial sectors besides decreasing their financial burden by 50%
• Ensure incentives to industrial sector, trade and investment to provide employment to youth.
• Withdrawal of increase in taxes on the salaried class and imposition of taxes on the privileged class.
• Cut in non-development expenses by 35%.
• Withdrawal of all taxes on stationery and other items used in education and training of children.

Addressing the sit-in participants, Deputy Emir of JI Liaquat Baloch said that the government agreed to the Jammat's demand to impose taxes on land-owners, adding the government also consented to reducing the tax on the salaried class in stages.

Baloch said that Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi, signed the agreement on the party's demands.

The two sides were in harmony in today's meeting that the government will hold scrutiny of agreements with independent power producers (IPPs), Baloch said, adding that a task force to be formed for the purpose which will table its report before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within a month.

The JI's second-in-command said that the two sides agreed that the matters related to IPPs and the energy sector would be monitored.

The federal and provincial governments will jointly work to impose income tax on landlords, he said.

The per unit power price of electricity will be reduced over the next one and a half months, he said, adding that power bills will be slashed at all costs.

Baloch further said that a committee will be constituted to address the reservations of traders and the committees of the government and the Jamaat will continue meeting in this regard.

Interior Minister Naqvi announced that the power tariff will scale down soon, adding, "All of us intend to provide relief to people. We have pledged that the power tariff will be reduced in any form which will be visible to you."

Tarar said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed regarding the provision of relief to people. The government gave a subsidy worth Rs50 billion to consumers using 200 units, he said.

PM Shehbaz, while commenting on the outcry over sky-high electricity prices, said last week that the coalition government's agenda is to reduce electricity bills, stressing that it should not be politicised as protests continue in different parts of the country against the high cost of power.

"We do not believe in politics for the sake of politics," the prime minister said during a cabinet meeting in Islamabad on Friday.