PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan speaks at the national conference of Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan, flanked by alliance leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and his deputy Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. SCREENSHOT
ISLAMABAD:
Opposition parties on Saturday sharply criticized the government’s decision to increase petrol and diesel prices by 55 rupees per liter, denouncing it as an “inflationary bomb” that would tighten pressure on households already struggling to keep their heads above water amid rising costs of living.
Opposition leaders warned the move would trigger a new spiral of inflation and urged the government to reduce the increase without delay.
The sharp rise comes as Pakistan grapples with the economic fallout from the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, which has strained trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the country’s oil imports.
Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said the move was “the worst form of governance and a serious anti-people move.”
“When people are already struggling to make ends meet, such decisions are like rubbing salt on their wounds,” he said on X.
Abbas questioned whether ordinary citizens or the ruling elite would ultimately bear the burden, pointing out that the government already collects more than 100 rupees per liter in oil taxes.
“The need of the hour is that the government – instead of putting a burden on the people, removes their privileges – makes unnecessary protocol and expenditure and immediately provides relief to the people,” he said.
He added that if the conflict in the Middle East continues, it could also threaten food security, urging the government to support agriculture by subsidizing fertilizers, seeds and other inputs.
Abbas also said inflation was seriously affecting civil servants and demanded that two additional salaries be paid before Eid.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political committee also condemned the move, calling it a “cruel” move that puts additional financial pressure on the public.
The party criticized the ruling coalition for “burdening the people with inflation instead of providing relief, while the extravagance of the ruling elite continues to escalate unabated.”
“On the one hand, there is an abundance of state aircraft and lavish perks for government officials imposed through Form 47. On the other, gasoline prices have been pushed beyond the reach of the poor public,” the party said.
In a separate post on its official
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram called the increase “the worst petrol bomb in history”, saying the move would make transport, food and other essential goods more expensive.
“Gasoline and diesel [are made] expensive, but why are the leaders’ planes and protocols cheap?” he asked.
“Gasoline is expensive, electricity is expensive, flour is expensive. Where should the public go? There is an extravagant protocol for leaders, [but] a hell of an inflation for the public.”
PTI MP Junaid Akbar also criticized the government, saying it had “used the global market as an excuse” to increase fuel prices while maintaining taxes above Rs 100 per liter on petrol.
Meanwhile, PPP parliamentarians’ spokesperson Shazia Marri expressed “serious concerns and regrets” over the price increase, calling the Rs 55 per liter hike a major economic burden on the public.
In a statement, she said the second increase in fuel prices during the holy month of Ramazan was deeply regrettable and would trigger a new wave of inflation.
