The government has made a record-high increase in petroleum product prices, inviting public ire.
The prices of petrol surged by Rs24.03 per litre, diesel by Rs59.16 per litre, kerosene oil by Rs33.12 and light diesel by Rs 25.53 per litre.
“The [government] will now bear no more losses on petroleum products,” Finance Minister Miftah Ismail during a press conference.
Flanked by State Minister for Petroleum Musaddaq Malik, Miftah asked the masses to bear the burden for a few months.
The government know that people would be at receiving end, but the government is helpless, he said.
The finance minister said the government would soon control inflation and provide the people with relief.
https://www.24newshd.tv/14-Apr-2022/record-raise-in-oil-rates-recommended
At the beginning of the press conference, Miftah came down hard on the last government— who was flanked by State Minister for Petroleum Musaddaq Malik — criticised the previous government's policies that, according to him, "deteriorated the country's economy".
Imran Khan-led government cut the oil prices by giving subsidies making the rulers bear the brunt.
A couple of weeks ago, the government increased the petroleum products a couple of weeks ago and held the last government responsible for leaving the people in the lurch.
The government cannot take the country towards default and is ready to pay the political cost for the sake of protecting the interest of the state, said the finance minister.
Govt under fire
The people and the opposition came down hard on the PML-N-led coalition government, as soon as the finance minister’s announcement of increasing the oil prices made headlines
https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1537142002399297536
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Reacting to the development, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter and announced that his party rejected the hike in petroleum products.
"We reject this robbery in the middle of the night with all our might," he wrote.
"Increase in petrol prices by this much has landed the middle class in deep trouble. People should take part in the protest against this incompetent government," he stressed.
Former minister Hammad Azhar too took to Twitter to vent his rage against the coalition government, saying that BAP, MQM-P and Zardari party are also to blame for imposing this incompetent government on the nation.
They themselves are enjoying power and have thrown the nation into the fire of inflation, he tweeted.
