Govt in opposition’s crosshairs as petroleum price hike agitates PPP and PML-N

Govt increases prices in dead of night, invites opposition’s ire

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have both condemned last night’s increase in petrol prices, with the former moving a resolution in the Punjab Assembly and the latter terming it ‘takleef [pain] package’.

PPP Punjab Chapter Secretary Hassan Murtaza, while talking to Minute Mirror questioned, “What kind of prime minister is this who announced a relief package in the day and issued ‘Takleef Package in the night?”

Syed Murtaza said that the PTI government wanted to bring petroleum prices equal to the value of dollars against the local currency.

“The increase in POL prices was made late at night to rob the public,” he said, adding that the public was already under a huge burden of inflation but another bomb of inflation was dropped on it.

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif termed the increase in the prices of the petroleum products as another ‘petrol bomb’ on the public.

In his tweet today, Sharif tweeted, “This is IK’s way of providing relief after giving a long sermon yesterday.” He criticized the PTI government, saying that each day it was in power meant horrible news for the public.

According to some inside sources in the PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif was planning to make another strategy with the PPP leadership to take the issue of inflation to the parliament and to give tough time to the ruling PTI.

Meanwhile, the PPP Punjab spokesperson said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called PML-N Chief Shehbaz Sharif and discussed the political and economic situation of the country.

The spokesperson said, “Both leaders have also talked about their joint strategy in the parliament against the government.” The spokesperson said that Bilawal and Shehbaz expressed serious concerns over the inflation the public was going through in their telephonic conversation.

Moreover, PML-N leader and Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz said that the PTI government failed to deliver as there was no relief for the public since it came into power. He said that another petrol bomb explosion just a day after the announcement of the relief package showed incompetency of the ruling PTI.

“Petrol explosion will cause more inflation,” said Hamza Shehbaz. He also said the government deprived the public of two meals.

Meanwhile, PML-N lawmaker Sumaira Komal moved a resolution in Punjab Assembly against increase in petroleum products.

In the resolution, the PML-N leader said that POL prices touched historic high and it was for the first time in the history of the country that per litre petrol was being sold at Rs 145. She said that PM Imran Khan had no sympathy or pain for the public.

The public, she said, was already suffering from inflation and in such a situation, an increase in POL price was nothing but cruelty. She demanded through her resolution that the recent increase in POL prices must be withdrawn.

The government on Friday morning announced a Rs8.14 increase in petroleum prices, putting the petrol price at Rs145.82 per litre and HSD price at 142.62 per litre.