Shehbaz demands immediate reversal of power tariff hike

Says govt cooks up excuses of not having two-thirds majority when it comes to legislating relief for people

LAHORE:

PML-N President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif while denouncing the government’s Rs6 per unit electricity tariff hike, has demanded that the increase be reversed immediately.

In a statement, the PML-N president said increasing the already unbearable power tariffs after “dropping massive petrol price hike bomb on the nation" was completely and utterly unacceptable”.

“[Prime Minister] Imran should not incite further wrath of God because of the curses of people of the country who are buried under the financial crisis, he said.

He noted that the already rise in petrol prices had increased the price of everything exponentially, including flour and sugar.

“The increase of Rs4 per litre in the petrol development levy on top of Rs12 per litre was another injustice to people,” he said.

“The government legislates in the interest of the IMF but cooked up excuses of not having two-thirds majority when it comes to legislating relief for the people,” he added.

“[PM] Imran Niazi only knows how to give relief to his ministries and allies but not to the people.”

The National Assembly opposition leader said that crude oil and oil import bill had reached a record high of $11.7 billion in the first seven months of the current financial year.

He termed the rise of 125% in energy imports a cause of “serious concern”. He said the business community was upset and the people were helpless but “Niazi and his government were in a state of complete willful denial”.

“This Imran Niazi government only knows how to increase petrol prices because of [rise in] the world market, but it is totally blind when international oil prices decrease,” he said.

“People of Pakistan have been suffering miserably for the past four years because of the PTI-led government while it has been busy making lame excuses minting money through corruption.”

Shehbaz said the government neither had the intention nor capacity to provide relief to the people, adding that only by getting “rid of incumbent regime would provide relief to the nation”.

“The country and the people have gone bankrupt and the income of the rulers has increased.”

The PML-N president maintained that instead of controlling inflation, PM Imran was “obsessed” with controlling opponents and critics.

He promised that the PML-N would “fulfill the wishes of people by ousting this tyrannical regime”.