Shehbaz slams ‘planned’ hike in power tariff

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif has slammed the planned Rs 6 per unit hike in power tariff following the recent massive increase in prices of petroleum products.

In a statement on Saturday, the PML-N president asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to immediately reverse the decision of yet another heavy burden on the masses in the shape of a “petrol bomb” and the massive planned hike in power tariff.

“After dropping the petrol bomb on the people, electricity is now being made more expensive by more than Rs 6 per unit. Imran Niazi! Take back the decision of increasing the power tariff and do not take any more curses from the people,” he asked the premier.

He said that the prices of every commodity have already been increased due to the recent “brutal” increase in prices of petroleum products, adding that increase of petroleum development levy by Rs 4 per liter after an increase of Rs 12 per liter is yet another injustice to the people.

“The government legislates in the interest of the IMF but it speaks lies when it comes to giving any relief to the people. Imran Niazi, you have relief of giving more ministries to the coalition partners but don’t you have any relief for the people?” he further asked. He also stated that during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, the import bill of crude oil and oil imports reached a record high at $ 11.7 billion.

He said that the sharp rise of 125 percent in energy imports is a matter of serious concern, adding that the business community is upset, the people are helpless and the rulers are in a state of denial.

Responding to the government’s position with regard to the increase in prices of petroleum products as per the rise in the international market, he said that the government only looks at the increase in the international market, while it remains reluctant to rationalise the prices when the oil prices decrease in the global market. “The people could not get relief for the last almost four years and it has been making excuses and making money. The government has neither the intention nor the capacity to provide any relief to the people. The people would only get relief once [they] get rid of this government”, Shehbaz said, adding that the country and its people have gone poorer, while the income of the rulers has increased.

He maintained that instead of controlling inflation, the rulers are busy controlling the opponents and critics, “which is unfortunate”.

“The people only want to get rid of Imran Niazi and we will fulfill the wishes of the people,” he further maintained.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022