The recent increase in prices of petroleum products has drawn stern reaction from people who see it as another factor to cause inflation in the coming days. According to a notification issued by OGRA, the price of petrol has been increased by Rs 5.37 per litre, High Octane Blended Component (HOBC) by Rs 6.29, kerosene oil by Rs 2.59, High Speed Diesel (HSD) by Rs 4.64 and the price per litre of Light Diesel Oil (LDO) has been increased by up to Rs 3.43, with immediate effect.
After the massive increase announced by the authorities, the new price of petrol has been fixed at Rs 94.91, HOBC Rs 118.20, HSD Rs 103 46, LDO Rs 90.21, while the kerosene oil will be sold at Rs 126.11 per litre.
Talking to Pakistan Today, the people reacted severely on the rise of petroleum prices, saying that there was no place for poor people to live in. “Inflation, power outages, water shedding and Sui Gas and CNG suspension has already put the masses in deep trouble. Now we are waiting for when the government will impose a tax on breathing,” commented Kashif Pervaiz, a resident of I-10.
The citizens said that the government was not interested in solving the problems of the common man but engaged in prolonging its tenure by hook or by crook. They said that instead of increasing petroleum prices, the government should have cut its own expenditure through austerity. Arshad Malik, a government employee, said that the unprecedented price hike would affect the quality of common man’s life as the cost of production in agriculture, transport and industry sectors would go up. He complained that wheat flour, vegetables, beef, chicken and sugar were being sold at ‘revised rates’ and the transporters were overcharging with the excuse that the petrol prices had increased. Muhammad Aftab, a private company employee, said that the government increased the pay of its employees but its trickle-down impact was yet to be registered.
Another employee of the company, Tahir Saleem, said the price hike in POL products would result in increase in daily problems, adding that it seemed the government was trying to kill the poor economically. He said that the POL price hike had exposed the hollow claims of the government of stabilising the economy. He claimed that the increase was unjustified because oil prices in the international market were falling.
Lalarukh Farooq, a resident of Rawalpindi Cantt area, said prices of essential food items, electricity and gas were increased but no facilities had been granted to the common people by the present government, despite the fact they were not tax- evaders. She said it was very difficult to make both ends meet for the middle and lower class families.
“The poor is getting poorer and the rich, richer. More and more people are committing suicides due to increasing poverty and unemployment,” said Samina Shakil, a housewife.
She said the prices of essential food items had gone beyond the reach of a common man and the situation would worsen after the recent surge in petroleum prices. “In these days of inflation, managing a kitchen has become very difficult,” she added.
Najmus Saqib, a medical representative, said the increase in petroleum prices would burden the salaried class further, adding that it was the time to provide relief to the public but the government was doing the contrary.
Talking to Pakistan Today, traders claimed the cost of production and transportation of goods would increase due to the increase in POL prices. They said that the government should have considered the matter carefully before increasing the fuel prices.
Shiekh Muhammad Rashid, a businessman, proposed that the government should hold up increasing POL prices in global market for preventing local industries from collapsing.
Sikandar Hayat Khan, an agriculturist, said that the increase was an anti-farmer measure and would ruin the agriculture sector. He said that the farmers were already facing financial crunch due to shortage of irrigation water and high prices of agricultural inputs. Therefore the increase in fuel prices would aggravate the problem.
