Afridi rejects burdening public with fuel price hikes

Vows no support for steps that shift crisis costs to citizens

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has firmly clarified the provincial government's stance on the emerging fuel supply challenges, declaring that his administration will not back any steps that directly impose additional financial strain on the public.

The statement came during a high-level meeting with Federal Ministers for Finance and Petroleum, where officials briefed the Chief Minister on potential disruptions to petroleum supplies stemming from escalating tensions in the Middle East involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. The discussions focused on possible constraints in global supply chains and their knock-on effects on domestic fuel prices, amid recent sharp increases in international oil costs.

Chief Minister Afridi emphasized that governments bear a core duty to shield citizens during crises rather than passing the fallout directly onto them. He criticized the practice of sustaining lavish and non-essential government spending while forcing ordinary people to absorb the consequences through higher petroleum prices, describing it as poor governance.

"The tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel must not serve as an excuse to pile extra economic pressure on citizens via fuel price surges," Afridi stated. He urged all levels of government to exercise strict fiscal discipline and prudent resource management.