LAHORE – Politicians condemned the hike in POL prices and demanded its reversal before Pakistanis rises up in revolt like Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Libya.
PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE-NAWAZ: Nawaz Sharif warned the government to not test the public patience because if it will brim over once, rulers will not be able to escape the consequences. He demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike, saying if the government cannot decrease the public’s miseries then it should at least avoid increasing their hardship.
Khawaja Saad Rafiq said increase in petroleum prices was unjustified and injudicious. “Government put our suggestion to control financial loss in the dustbin. Pakistan is burning and rulers are playing a flute of peace. It is similar to suicide attack on masses. Instead of listing the voice of parliamentarians, government is pursuing IMF’s agenda,” he added.
PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE-QUAID: Kamil Ali Agha said that fresh raise in the POL prices will multiply the agonies of people. He warned the rulers that if the price hike continues, a time will come when the nation will refuse to give taxes to the government.
MUTAHIDDA QAUMI MOVEMENT: Haider Abbas Rizvi said that POL prices were increased without consulting the parliamentary committee. He said that MQM would chalk out its future strategy if the decision was not reversed within 3 days.
AWAMI NATIONAL PARTY: Nushra Gohar said that the decision should be taken up in the meeting of the parliamentary committee. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaqat Baloch condemned the fresh increase in POL prices and said that POL prices had already broken the backbone of the poor and this rise will kill them economically.
PAKISTAN PEOPLE’S PARTY: Nadeem Afzal supported the hike and said all the parties backed this decision
PAKISTAN TEHREEK-E-INSAF AND JAMAT-E-ISLAMI: Staged separate protest demonstrations against the hike in POL prices at different places.
On the instructions of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PTI Lahore staged a protest in front of the Governor House against the increment of the petroleum prices, President PTI Lahore region, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed lead the protest. Protestors chanted slogans against the price hike and held banners and placards.
Protestors said they will continue the protests unless the government takes the decision back. Various senior leaders of PTI including Ejaz Chaudhary, Dr Yasmeen Rashid and Zaheer Abbas Khokhar were also present. They said that a huge revolution is waiting to happen against the current government and claimed that PTI will defend the public rights.
They said that the Government is working on IMF’s agenda and both the ruling parties including PPP and PML-N have never been benevolent to the public. They said that unemployment and poverty has become common in the country JI staged protest demonstration in front of Press Club. Addressing the protestors, JI leader Hafiq Salman Butt said that government had violated public mandate given to it to resolve the problems.
He said that frequent raise in POL prices had made the life of people miserable. Protestors appealed SC to take suo moto action on the violation of Atricles 37 of the constitution that declared the responsibility of the state to promote economical interest of the public.
