Opposition slams PTI govt for petrol price hike

Opposition believes Imran Khan’s govt has led the country to an economic crisis

ISLAMABAD: The opposition has censured the government for increase in petroleum prices by up to 4 per cent and called it ‘economic terrorism while declaring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government a ‘failed government’.

The National Assembly Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in London for a medical treatment decried the ‘economic terrorism’ and lamented that instead of providing relief to people, the government has dropped ‘petrol bomb’ on them and denied them of the blessings of Eidul Fitr.

"In Imran Khan Niazi’s plicies, the country is on the cusp of economic crisis," he said. The PML-N president announced to launch a protest against the inflation.

Punjab Assembly Leader of Opposition Hamza Shehbaz said the inflation proved that the country is ruled by ‘economic terrorists’. “After hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, there will be a tsunami of inflation,” he said.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “Jacking up prices of petroleum products ahead of Eidul Fitr is enmity with the public”. She said the PTI has disappointed everyone and that things are worsening with the every passing day.

“Since the Imran Khan took up the reigns of the country, [they] are getting bad news every day. The hike in the prices of petrol, gas and electricity would take a heavy toll on the people. The next budget which would be according to the wishes of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is yet to come”.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President Sherry Rehman also slammed the government for the recent rise in the petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) prices.

"The failed government has given nothing [to the country] except inflation and unemployment. The revolutionary administration has increased oil prices by Rs20 within nine months."

She said petroleum prices have decreased by 3% internationally but the government still shot up the rates. Noting that the rise comes days before the budget, she questioned if the step was taken on the directions of the IMF.

The PPP leader and provincial minister Saeed Ghani rejected the surge and said that ‘Imrani Tsunami’ has become a hassle for the masses. “The increase in the price of dollar and medicines is also creating difficulties for survival,” he added.

The PPP leader Nafisa Shah condemned the government’s move to push up the fuel prices and said, “Instead of providing relief to the masses on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, it deprived them of their joys. People have been deceived in the name of relief”.

She said the hike will add to the tsunami of inflation.

The government approved Rs4.50 per litre increase in the price of high speed diesel (HSD), Rs4.26 in petrol, Rs1.69 in kerosene and Rs1.68 for the price of light diesel oil (LDO). Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) in its summary had proposed an increase of Rs9 in the price of petrol.