Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday called the POL price hike a shameful action.
In a statement, Imran Khan said, “Repeated price hikes continue to burden the ordinary citizens while most of the rich continue to evade their responsibility of paying their taxes. The government has failed, or deliberately chosen not to, widen the direct tax net; and instead has chosen to target the salaried and poor of the Land by placing a spiralling burden of indirect taxes on them.”
Imran Khan said his party would be devising a strategy to protest such anti-people price hikes both in parliament and on the streets.
“It was unacceptable to have the poor bear the burden of the state expenses while the rich are kept outside the tax ambit,” he concluded.
Separately, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement condemned the increase in POL prices.
The Rabita Committee said the government has disappointed the people. People are already affected by inflation, unemployment and terrorism. Now the increase in petroleum products prices will further increase the hardships and woes of people.
The MQM said people were expecting that the government would not increase the prices of basic commodities and provide relief in POL, electricity and gas prices. The party demanded that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif take the anti-people decision back.
The Awami National Party also condemned the hike in POL prices.
On Saturday, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) issued a notification regarding the hike in POL prices after the Finance Ministry gave a go-ahead.
Following the notification, the petrol surged by Rs 4.64 to Rs 109.14 per litre. High-speed diesel also scaled up Rs 3.57/lit to Rs 113.33/lit.
Similarly, the price of light-speed diesel also went up to Rs 98.43 up Rs 2.31. Kerosene oil price also soared by Rs 4.71; its new price now stands at Rs 105.99 per litre.
The price of high octane also perched on the record level at Rs 138.33 with fresh hike of Rs 5.89.
The prices have come into effect from the midnight of September 1.
