Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Pervaiz Elahi, has strongly condemned fresh hike in petroleum products prices and said that time was not far away when people, who are already badly hit by price hike, unemployment and aggravating law and order situation, would hold the government accountable.
In reaction to the fresh wave of raise in petroleum products prices, he said that the government, which raised tall claims of public service, "has set a new record" by making unprecedented raise in the prices of petroleum products.
"It is for the first time in the country's history that a massive increase in petroleum products prices has been made by the ruling coalition government," he said, and added that people were already facing manifold economic problems due to record hike in the prices of flour, rice, ghee and other eatable items.
Pervaiz said that with the unprecedented raise in petroleum products prices, a new wave of price hike would appear depriving the people from making their two ends meet. 'It would not be possible for people to get food', he added. He said that the rulers, instead of taking steps to check the soaring prices of eatable items, were busy in carrying out revengeful activities against their opponents.
He said that the present regime lacks ability to check increase in prices of essential items. He recalled that the PML-Q government, despite hike in petroleum and food items prices in international market, had not passed on much burden onto the public. He said there was no choice for the people except to hold the ruling clique accountable.
Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary General Munawar Hassan also condemned the government's announcement of fresh hike in prices of petroleum products and described it a beginning of the release of the relief package announced by the Prime Minister in his speech.
He regretted that prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene oil had been raised by more than 50 percent in the last four months and its effect can be witnessed in the prices of all other products. He said the decision would badly hit the people.