The fifth round of negotiations between the government and Jamaat-e-Islami concluded on Thursday with both sides reaching an agreement.
The government delegation was led by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ataullah Tarar, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. They were joined by the Rawalpindi commissioner and the Rawalpindi regional police officer at the Commissioner’s Office for the negotiations. Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator Badar Shahbaz Warraich was also part of the government’s negotiating team.
From the JI side, partys’s Ameer Hafiz Naeem and Deputy Ameer Liaqat Baloch participated in the talks.
After the negotiations, the government and Jamaat-e-Islami delegations held a joint press conference. They were on the JI sit-in stage.
Jamaat-e-Islami Deputy Ameer Liaqat Baloch appreciated the “discipline and order” maintained by the protesters during the sit-in. “You have written a new chapter through this sit-in. Despite the obstacles, the party workers participated in the protest, and some of our workers were even arrested,” Baloch said.
Baloch stated that the government has decided that a complete audit would be conducted to review the IPP agreements. For this purpose, an empowered task force has been formed, which would complete its work within a month.
The government has also agreed on the ToRs of the task force, which include selecting experts from the public-private sector, involving the WAPDA chairman and auditor general, and hiring a private firm and chartered accountants to examine the matters.
“The government’s task force will present its recommendations to the prime minister within one month,” Baloch said as he read out the ToRs. All matters have been finalised with the government and the government would ensure implementation of the agreement that was signed by Tarar and Naqvi, he said.
Baloch said: “The burden on the salaried class will be reduced, electricity bills will be lowered in all cases, and the per unit price of electricity will decrease in the next one and a half months. A committee will also be formed to address the concerns of traders.”
Interior Minister Naqvi said the government has promised to provide relief to the public, and electricity prices would be seen decreasing soon.
JI Ameer Rehman said the government representatives have made an agreement in front of the entire nation and the party was confident the government would implement the agreement. “We are not backing down from any of their demands and we will hold a public gathering tomorrow as part of their protest.”
