The Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) Leader Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, former Speaker of National Assembly has demanded of the government to pass on relief to the common man as unabated increase in oil prices has caused rapid decline in the quality of people's lives.
The PPP-P, he said, was preparing new manifesto under which oil prices in the country would be "factually" linked with the international market. Former Speaker said there is massive corruption in every department of the government and there is no relief for the common man. The rich are becoming richer day by day and the gap between rich and poor is increasing day by day. If such trend continued, it would lead to civil war in the country, he warned.
Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday Yousaf Raza Gilani took strong exception to the government decision not to lower the prices of petroleum products, and said the reduction of price has to be passed on to the consumer, as the present international prices are 23 percent less than the price fixed in October 2005 ie Rs 57.78 per litre. He termed the statement of Dr Salman Shah, Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance, incorrect as he claimed that the oil prices have been fixed on lower rates.
Moreover he rejected the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources claim that Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) formula is being followed strictly. "This has already been contested by the facts brought forward in the Senate Petroleum Committee report," he added.
Yousaf Raza Gilani said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has also failed to take any action on National Accountability Bureau's report and the recommendations by the anti corruption wing of his government regarding reduction of oil prices. The report was submitted to him three months back, she added.
He said the government has been presenting wrong figures and claiming that the prices in Pakistan are lower than the neighbouring countries (including India). He then made comparison of prices of two major products petrol and diesel. He said Dr Salman Shah has to differentiate that in India government taxes are in access of Rs 150 billion on stand point of Pakistani rupee parity and consumption volume as of Pakistan. Yousaf Raza said that this comparison of prices means that the refineries in Pakistan are being given undue advantage of equivalent amount. The duty free crude import is additional benefit to the private refineries, he added.
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