In a survey carried out by Business Recorder in Islamabad there were no supporters of the Presidential Ordinance that renamed the carbon levy as petroleum levy and raised prices of petroleum products to July 1, 2009 level. There was general discontent with the presidential ordinance issued at 2:45 in the morning with all blaming the decision to raise the petrol prices on the president.
One disgruntled motorcyclist while filling his tank stated "if there is a poll today President Zardari will not even get the 17 percent rating that he got in the last poll." A man purchasing groceries in a super market in Islamabad stated that the president is pursuing the policies of the former dictator and nothing has changed since the last one and half a year with respect to inflation and load shedding.
Others lamented the impact of the petrol prices on their disposable income with transport costs having risen significantly. One labourer said "I can't afford to take a bus anymore. I have been walking in this scorching heat for hours to get to my work place." The consensus however was that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had given relief to the masses by ordering a stay on carbon levy and the government issued the ordinance to take away the relief.
The current presidential ordinance is just like a drone attack on the masses and it would have a negative effect on the economic conditions of the people as prices of daily use items would increase due to high petrol prices, said Dr Rehmat Ali, a resident of Islamabad.
Talking to Business Recorder advocate Ahmed Hanif said that the ordinance would not disturb the president, his family and his kitchen cabinet, but the ordinance is contempt of the court and violation of human rights.
Masood Akhtar a taxi driver said that he had listened to the decision of the Supreme Court in which it ordered the government to reduce POL prices with jubilation but the next day was a black day as the president exercised his powers to deprive the masses of this relief. Raza Hussain a labourer said that the Zardari administration is determined to deprive the masses of basics as it is impossible for the people to make both ends meet any more.
Noor Muhammad a roadside-stall operator criticised the ordinance and queried "why Zardari was reluctant to bring his own wealth into the country and invest it here." Flaying the presidential ordinance Abdul Qayoom a retired army man and presently earning his living by selling newspapers said that he is a father of eight and it is now impossible for him to manage his kitchen expenditures. He added that the presidential ordinance shows that the rulers are taking every decision to please their foreign masters and were ignoring the masses.
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