Screeching headlines of all English and Urdu newspapers as well as electronic media on Sunday (April 1) announcing the latest price-hike of petroleum products only reflected the much hurt sentiments and feelings of people from all segments of the society and hinted at how much their domestic budgets are going to hit very hard this time. Higher petrol and diesel prices mean more expenses on transportation and subsequently, the prices of daily use articles are quite viciously hiked much more than actually needed to offset the adverse effect of the freshest POL increase setting new records.
Some of the headlines, as all could not be reproduced here for want of space, read:
“Govt adds fuel to nation’s misery”
“Fuel prices hit all-time high”
“Government hurls another fuel bomb at masses”
“Petrol price crosses Rs 105 mark”
With this substantial increase in petrol, diesel, kerosene and other POL products prices, how much the domestic budgets of people are going to be adversely hit? This can be worked out by those who are good at minus and plus business and can do figure work required in this regard. As a matter of fact, middle class and lower class people which form majority of the population are going to be hit to the maximum extent in the hardest manner, to say the least.
This once again underlines the dire need for fuel saving measures to keep the petrol, diesel and CNG expenses somewhat under check and control despite all the hiked POL products prices. This is so because the federal government is all but determined to keep hurling petrol bombs on the people every now and now on one pretext or the other.
