PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan speaks at the national conference of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan, flanked by alliance chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai and his deputy Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. SCREEN CAPTURE
ISLAMABAD:
Opposition parties on Saturday sharply criticized the government’s decision to increase petrol and diesel prices by Rs 55 per liter, denouncing it as an “inflationary bomb” that would reinforce pressure on households already struggling to stay afloat amid rising costs of living.
Opposition leaders warned that the move would trigger a new spiral of inflation and urged the government to reverse the increase without delay.
The sharp rise comes as Pakistan grapples with the economic fallout from the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which has affected trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the country’s oil imports.
Opposition leader in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, said the decision was “the worst form of government and a serious anti-people measure.”
“When people are already struggling to make ends meet, such decisions are tantamount to rubbing salt in people’s wounds,” he said in X.
Abbas questioned whether ordinary citizens or the ruling elite would ultimately bear the burden, pointing out that the government already collects more than Rs 100 per liter in oil taxes.
“The need of the hour is that the government, instead of imposing burden on the people, should cut back on their privileges, protocol and unnecessary expenses and immediately provide relief to the people,” he said.
He added that if the Middle East conflict drags on, it could also threaten food security, and urged the government to support agriculture through subsidies on fertilizers, seeds and other inputs.
Abbas also said inflation was seriously affecting government employees and asked for two additional salaries to be paid before Eid.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political committee also condemned the decision, deploring it as a “cruel” measure that puts further financial pressure on the public.
The party criticized the ruling coalition for “burdening the people with inflation instead of providing them with relief, while the ruling elite’s own extravagance continues to rise unabated.”
“On the one hand, there are a large number of state aircraft and large benefits for government officials imposed through Form 47. On the other hand, oil prices have been left out of reach of the poor,” the party said.
In a separate post on its official
PTI Central Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram called the increase “the worst Molotov cocktail in history” and said the decision would make transport, food and other essential items more expensive.
“Gasoline and diesel [are made] expensive, but why are the rulers’ planes and protocols cheap?” he asked.
“Gasoline is expensive, electricity is expensive, flour is expensive. Where should the public go? There is an extravagant protocol for rulers, [but] “An incredible inflation for the public.”
PTI MNA Junaid Akbar also criticized the government, saying it had “used the global market as an excuse” to increase fuel prices while maintaining taxes above Rs 100 per liter on petrol.
Meanwhile, PPP MPs’ spokesperson Shazia Marri expressed “serious concern and regret” over the price hike, calling the increase of Rs 55 per liter a major financial burden on the public.
In a statement, it said the second fuel price increase during the holy month of Ramadan was deeply unfortunate and would trigger another wave of inflation.
