Sindh Assembly calls for petrol price cut, demands end to petroleum levy

The Sindh Assembly has unanimously called on the federal government to reduce petroleum prices and scrap the petroleum levy as lawmakers voiced concern over the growing financial pressure on ordinary consumers.

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly has unanimously called on the federal government to reduce petroleum prices and scrap the petroleum levy as lawmakers voiced concern over the growing financial pressure on ordinary consumers.

The resolution was presented by PTI-backed MPA Mohammad Owais and received support from both treasury and opposition benches.

Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon backed the resolution and urged the federal government to immediately reconsider the levy being imposed on petroleum products. He argued that the additional charges were increasing the cost of fuel and creating difficulties for households already struggling with high living expenses.

Memon said the federal government was collecting more than Rs100 per litre through petroleum-related taxation and maintained that eliminating the levy could provide direct relief to consumers.

The provincial minister also criticised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) which is part of the federal coalition for not taking a stronger position on the issue. He urged the party’s representatives in the federal government to raise the matter with their coalition partners and press for measures to reduce fuel costs.

Memon said rising petrol prices were not an issue that could be ignored for political reasons as higher fuel costs eventually affect transportation, food prices and household expenses.

He also referred to the Pakistan Peoples Party’s past position on petrol prices recalling that the party had withdrawn from a coalition government in 1988 after a Re1 increase in petrol prices.

According to Memon, the scale of fuel price increases today is significantly higher making it necessary for political parties across the spectrum to demand relief for citizens.

The Sindh Assembly’s resolution comes as Jamaat-e-Islami continues its campaign against high fuel prices and the petroleum levy.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has argued that the levy places a disproportionate burden on low- and middle-income households particularly workers students and motorcycle users. The party has demanded that the levy be abolished and petrol prices be brought down.

JI has also warned that its protest campaign could expand if the government fails to meet its demands. The party has announced plans for further demonstrations including a long march towards Islamabad.

Negotiations between the federal government and JI have also taken place over the petroleum levy and measures aimed at providing relief to consumers. The party has submitted several proposals to the government and has maintained that protests will continue alongside the talks.

JI representatives have argued that the government should reduce unnecessary state expenditure and create fiscal space for lowering the tax burden on petroleum products.

The Sindh Assembly’s unanimous resolution adds further political pressure on the federal government to address rising fuel costs. The issue is likely to remain a major public concern as political parties and civil society groups continue demanding relief from higher petroleum prices and inflation.