Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has rejected hike in the petroleum prices by up to 13-percent and asked the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government to withdraw the decision. PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said that fresh hike in petroleum prices would further increase economic sufferings of people who are already hard pressed on account of escalating price hike and vicious circle of poverty.
Had the government overcome menace of corruption, it would not have been forced to raise prices of petroleum products repeatedly, he said. Sharif asked the government not to 'test patience of people' and announce withdrawal of decision regarding hike in petroleum prices. PML-N leader and Senior Advisor to Chief Minister, Sirdar Zulifqar Ali Khosa termed increase in petroleum prices an anti-people step, saying government is causing more and more problems for people through such steps.
He said the PPP-led government has failed to curtail its unnecessary expenditures and punishing people through anti-people policies. He said hike in petroleum prices would cause inflation besides opening fresh wave of price hike. He urged the government to withdraw the increase to ease out economic sufferings of people. Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Punjab President, Ahsan Rashid, General Secretary, Dr Yasmin Rashid slammed increase in petroleum prices and termed it as another 'inflation bomb' on the masses due to which fares of inter-city transportation have been increased up to 15 percent by transporters.
Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry regional chairman, Muhammad Tariq Shafi and vice-presidents Punjab Chaudhry Aamer Ata Bajwa and Dr Shehla Javed Akram said that hike in petroleum prices would badly hit industry as well as masses. They said industrial process would badly hit due to hike in petroleum products, as it would further increase cost of doing business in the country that would ultimately hit exports. They urged the government to provide the relief to industry as well as masses instead of burdening them through such steps.
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