Opposition's strategy on oil price issue likely on December 20

Opposition parties are holding a meeting on December 20 and likely to evolve a joint strategy against the soaring oil prices, said Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) at a press conference here on Saturday.
He accused the government of charging substantially higher prices of oil against the international market, dubbing it a fraud, and pledged to prove it by facts and figures.
"In the name of petroleum surcharge, the government is grabbing money and putting it in the national consolidated fund, which is being spent on luxuries instead of development," said the senior parliamentarian.
Nisar Ali Khan said that contrary to its commitment, the government has yet to reduce the oil prices despite decrease in international market.
"Enough is enough, we will react seriously with facts and figures either on the floor of the house, media or in the Supreme Court" he added.
The PML-N leader pointed out that the government was comparing oil prices with US market while oil is being imported from Gulf countries, which has nothing to do with the US market.
There was a substantial difference between the prices of oil in Gulf and US markets. Oil prices in Pakistan should be adjusted according to the Gulf market, Nisar emphasised.
He was of the view that his party had filed a writ petition in Supreme Court against the oil prices and was waiting for the court notice to present documents to substantiate its case.
Nisar said that oil prices have decreased at least 20 percent during last seven weeks and regretted that the government has not adjusted it yet. He said that the opposition wanted to take the issue on the floor of the National Assembly in the last session, but the chair prorogued the house.
According to the its own figures, the government has increased oil prices more than hundred percent since Pervez Musharraf assumed the power.
Nisar further said that the government has collected Rs 600 million through petroleum surcharge during last three months and Rs 6 billion since June last year.