Punjab

Government grilled over POL price hike

PML-N MPA says PTI failed in providing relief to poor masses

Our Correspondent October 02, 2021

The breakdown of the petrol price suggests that the ex-refinery price of petrol stood at Rs75.83 on May 1, 2021. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:

Opposition lawmakers grilled the Punjab government over the increase in prices of petroleum products while the treasury benches defended the price hike claiming “the prices are still less than the open market”.

The house reverberated with the shouts of “Chor”, “Chor” as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) MPA Rana Mashhood came down hard on the government over what he termed “flawed policies”.

Meanwhile, PML-N’s lawmakers and chanted slogans against PTI led the government and held the PTI responsible for the prevailing crises.

“The PTI has completely failed in providing relief to the poor masses, and it did nothing but gave starvation,” Rana Mashhood added up.

PTI head Imran Khan had been saying in past that “if the prices of petroleum products are increased so everyone should understand their leader is a thief”. But now what he is doing, means Imran Khan is a thief.

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As the PM Khan was called a thief, the treasury lawmakers responded and chanted slogans against Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza also lamented the government over an increase in petroleum products.

“The people’s lives had been made miserable, all institution has been ruined, no education, no health, no facility, where the poor should go, is it what he called a “Risat-e-Madina”.

The prices are being deliberately increased by the PTI government on the behest of vested interests.

Finally, he walked out of the house proceedings in protest against the government’s act of increasing prices of petroleum products.

The PTI’s provincial minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said the PML-N first bring democracy in PML-N’s ranks.

The house started under Chair of Panel of Chairmen Mian Muhammad Shafi with a delay of two hours. There were around 24 lawmakers from both sides when the house was started.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2021.