Karachi: The ‘bombshell’ dropped on the inflation-hit masses by the government in shape of exorbitant increase in price of petroleum products has stirred anger among the masses, who termed the hike as ‘sheer injustice’ with them.
People from different walks of life while talking to The News Tribe termed the hike as unacceptable, saying that it will result in massive inflation and price hike.
Criticising the government decision, a motorcyclist Nisar Moosa said that the government had no concerns about the suffering of masses. The rulers have kept themselves aloof from the miseries of common man, on the name of whom they had come to power, he deplored. The oil prices are now so high that a common man could not afford to keep a two-wheeler, another motorcyclist Maqsood Bhatti said.
People while talking to The News Tribe said that instead of increasing petroleum products’ prices, the government should have cut its own expenditure through austerity. They added that people across the world were celebrating New Year while in Pakistan the government by increasing the POL prices, has added to the miseries of common man.
An employee of a private firm, Saleem Awan, said that the fresh hike in POL prices was nothing less than an attempt to murder the poor people economically. He also questioned the logic of price increase on the pretext of hike in international market, saying that the government should have decreased numerous taxes it was collecting from masses on petroleum products.
They demanded of the government to withdraw the decision or raise the salaries.
People of other cities including Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Hyderabad also strongly reacted to the phenomenal increase in POL prices.
They said that it seemed the government is compelling them to switch to commute on bicycle, adding that instead of providing relief to the masses, their problems were being increased.
The government on Friday increased oil prices up to Rs 7.69 per liter effective from Saturday, January 1. The overall increase ranges between 5.4 to 9.2 percent. The government has raised price of petrol by Rs 6.71 per liter, HOBC by Rs 7.69 per liter, kerosene oil by Rs 4.04 per liter, High Speed Diesel (HSD) by Rs 4.25 per liter and LDO by Rs 4.36 per liter.
The new prices of petroleum products will stand as: petrol Rs 79.67 per liter, HOBC Rs 94.36 per liter, kerosene oil Rs 74.99 per liter, HSD Rs 82.58 per liter and LDO Rs 70.97 per liter effective from January 1, 2011.– By Ali Hussain Chitrali
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