JI, govt reach agreement as taskforce formed to resolve issues

RAWALPINDI (Dateline News) – The government and JI have reached an agreement pertaining to relief for the masses in electricity bills, reduction in taxes for the salaried class and reviewing Independent Power Producers (IPPs) contracts.The JI had staged a sit-in for its demands. Several rounds of talks between the government and the JI took place and on Thursday their negotiations concluded with the formation of a taskforce to resolve issues and announcement from the Jamaat to postpone its sit-in.Both sides reached an agreement with respect to reducing power tariff, reviewing IPPs contracts, and cutting taxes imposed on salaried class.Talking to journalists, JI Naib emir Liaquat Baloch said, “An empowered taskforce has been set up which will complete its work in a month and submit its report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.“The formation of the taskforce aims at auditing IPPs contracts and giving relief to the masses from exorbitant power bills.“The sit-in staged by JI on July 26 has created a history as the government set up a taskforce to meet the JI’s demands.”Liaquat Baloch appreciated the participants of the sit-in for maintain discipline.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.The government has also agreed on the ToRs of the taskforce, 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 IPPs matters, Baloch said.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.Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the government has promised to provide relief to the public, and electricity prices would be seen decreasing soon.JI emir Naeem-ur-Rehman said the government representatives have made an agreement in front of the entire nation and the party was confident that the government would implement the agreement.The government delegation was led by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.