ISLAMABAD  (  WEB  NEWS   )

A Pakistani religious party protesting against the rising cost of living in the country has put forth 10 demands for the government, which include reducing the petroleum levy and slashing prices of essential products, as it gears up for negotiations scheduled to be held today, Sunday.

Thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) supporters have camped in Rawalpindi’s historic Liaqat Bagh ground, demanding the government remove additional taxes imposed in the latest budget presented last month.

JI chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has also called for a reduction in power tariffs recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) amid soaring inflation, along with a review of Pakistan’s loss-making agreements with independent power producers (IPPs).

The government formed a three-member negotiating committee on Friday to engage with the JI leadership when the party said hundreds of its workers had been arrested by law enforcement agencies.

“Jamaat-e-Islami has decided to put forth 10 demands before the government,” the religious party said in a statement issued on Saturday night.

The party called on the government to provide a 50 percent “relief” to those who consumed 500 units of electricity and abolish the petroleum levy, and withdraw the recent hike in prices of petroleum products.

JI demanded the government reduce the prices of essential commodities by 20 percent and withdraw taxes on stationery items.

The party also demanded the government slash its non-development expenditures by 35 percent and reduce its overall expenditures. It also called on authorities to abolish agreements related to capacity charges and payments in dollars to IPPs and demanded a review of all existing agreements with the power producers.

“Unauthorized taxes on agriculture and industries should be reduced by 50 percent,” JI said. “Industry, trade and investment should be ensured so that the youth get employment. Tax on the salaries class should be abolished and the privileged class should be brought under the tax net.”

Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announced the formation of the government’s negotiating team on Friday, saying it included him and two senior members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.

“We are ready for negotiations, but don’t disrupt public life,” he said during a news conference. “The government’s three-member committee will talk to you. Amir Muqam, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and I will negotiate with you. Whenever you express willingness, we are ready for the negotiations.”

The JI decided to form a four-member committee to negotiate with the government after Tarar and his delegation went to meet the party leaders and held a conversation in an amicable environment on Friday.

The JI said the information minister had assured its leadership of releasing the detained party workers.

Prior to that, the Rawalpindi district administration closed Murree Road, a main thoroughfare in the city, with shipping containers and deployed heavy contingents of security personnel around the sit-in site to avoid any untoward incident.

The JI chief had also addressed his supporters at Liaqat Bagh, expressing his resolve to make the government accept the party’s demands.

“If the government believes our sit-in will remain confined to Murree Road, this is its wishful thinking,” Naeem-ur-Rehman said. “If they do not reduce electricity bills, address the IPP issue and revoke tax slabs imposed on the salaried classes, then this sit-in will not remain limited here. It will spread to the entire country.”