The trade and industry sector has condemned the second-time increase in the POL and CNG prices within a short span of one month by the government.
In a joint statement issued on Monday Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Patron In-Chief, S M Muneer, Chairman Ehtesham Uddin, All Karachi Industrial Alliance, President, Mian Zahid Hussain, Vice Chairmen Hasham A Razzak and Tariq Malik said that the government on the pretext of increase in POL prices in international market was rapidly skyrocketing prices in local market. They said the increase in POL prices had nothing to do with the price fluctuation in international market as the real factor behind all this practice was to make money and squeeze the masses to overcome budgetary losses. They said that the rulers were punishing the masses and business community to conceal its policy failure. They warned that such practice by the rulers was real dangerous and against the national interest as trade and industry as well as general masses were near bankruptcy. They asked the government not to take revenge of failure of its policies from the public and not to undermine the democratic set up as public was extremely upset due to unabated and cruelly increased prices of utilities. The industrialists and traders demanded of the government to immediately reverse the decision of massive increase in POL and CNG prices. They also demanded of the government to do away with weekly review of prices as the ministry and OGRA were only reviewing POL prices upwards.
