Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has submitted a calling attention notice in the National Assembly Secretariat against recent increase in prices of petroleum products. The calling attention signed by the PPP members of National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Nafisa Shah, Shazia Marri, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa and Imran Zafar Leghari was submitted under the Rule 88 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007.
According to the calling attention notice, the said PPP MNAs "draw the attention of minister for petroleum towards recent increase in prices of petroleum products causing grave concern among the public. This step of the government would give rise to inflation and put extra burden on already encumbered population."
It further says: "The prices of these products in Pakistan are already high as compared to the prices of these products in international market. Rather than providing relief to the public, the government has further increased the prices of these products to fill its pockets. It is a serious matter and needs an immediate attention of the House."
Shazia Marri said that prices of petroleum products are low at international market, while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has put more burden on the people, instead of giving them relief, by increasing the prices of petroleum products. She urged the government to immediately withdraw the recent increase in petroleum products.
She said that the PPP would raise this issue in the coming session of the Lower House of the Parliament. She said that the people are already in miserable condition due to price hike and now the price of commodities would also escalate due to rise in petroleum products.
Criticizing the federal government, Imran Zafar Leghari said the government was trying to decrease budget deficit by the revenue through hike in the prices of petroleum products. "Federal government has failed to provide any sort of relief to people. But, PPP will not leave people in this situation. We will support public demand for immediate reversal of increase in petroleum prices," he said, adding that people are already facing financial problems and this latest 'petrol bomb' will further increase inflation.