ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentarians lawmaker Syed Naveed Qamar slammed the increase in petroleum prices on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday, fearing the government would drop another “petrol bomb” on the masses.
Naveed Qamar, who belongs to the government’s main ally, was the only lawmaker in the House who raised his voice against the increase in petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per liter each. As parliamentarians from the opposition benches were preparing for a strong protest in front of the Speaker’s dais, Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was presiding over the proceedings, adjourned the House soon after his party colleague ended his speech.
The opposition members also wanted to take the floor, apparently to register their protest. On a request from the Chair to wait, they moved towards the Speaker’s dais. In the meantime, the proceedings were adjourned until Tuesday at 12 noon.
Syed Naveed Qamar strongly condemned the abrupt increase in petroleum prices as unjust. “The government has revised prices of products which were already present in the country and were procured for 90 dollars per barrel,” he said. He stated that by doing so, the owners of petrol pumps, oil companies and stock holders in Pakistan have been benefited to the tune of billions of rupees at the cost of the masses.
He said that as prices of oil products in the international market have surged to 120 dollars per barrel, the government would go for yet another raise. “Moreover, you also have to obey every IMF condition,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry introduced the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the House. The Chair referred the bill to the Standing Committee concerned.
