Opposition announces anti-govt protest drive

The Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP), a grand opposition alliance, on Sunday announced plans to launch a protest campaign against the latest increase in petroleum prices and said it is seeking support from other political parties for a joint movement.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai said the party was in contact with allied political groups, including PTI, to finalise a coordinated response.

"We and PTI are on the same page on this issue. However, consultations are ongoing with other parties that are part of the alliance. After taking them on board, we will finalise a course of action," he said.

He added that a parliamentary meeting of the alliance had been called for Monday, where the issue will be discussed in detail.

The party also plans to reach out to other opposition parties who are not part of the alliance, including JUIF headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to join the protest movement.

In a separate statement issued earlier in the day, TTAP strongly condemned the increase in petroleum prices, saying that despite a decline in global oil prices over the past week, the government had raised fuel rates primarily through an increase in the Petroleum Levy tax, which it said was not linked to international oil trends.

The party claimed petrol prices in Pakistan had risen by 61 per cent since tensions between Iran and the United States, compared to 38 percent in Sri Lanka and 16 per cent in Bangladesh, while remaining unchanged in India, calling it "evidence of government failure".

It said rising fuel prices had increased transport and food costs and pushed inflation into double digits, warning that such policies were deepening economic hardship and unemployment.

TTAP said it would announce protest demonstrations in the coming days against what it termed "anti-people policies.

Fuel prices in Pakistan have shown a sustained upward trend since late February amid heightened regional tensions and repeated adjustments in petroleum levies, with successive increases contributing to rising transport and commodity costs.

The protest announcement came shortly after the government increased petrol prices by Rs14.92 per litre to Rs414.78, a move that further intensified political criticism over rising fuel costs, adding to ongoing concerns over inflationary pressure.