ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Friday rejected outright the “inhuman and cruel” surge in petroleum prices, describing it as an economic atom bomb dropped directly on the poverty-stricken and inflation-hit masses.
He feared that this increase would further push the already unbearable cost of living to far beyond human-scale understanding. He urged the masses to stand up for their constitutional and democratic rights.
Reacting to the increase in oil prices, he denounced the decision, calling it not only utterly unjust but a deliberate and ruthless assault on the livelihoods of the poor, laborers, daily-wage earners and salaried workers.
He affirmed PTI’s unwavering solidarity with the people during this severe crisis and vowed to stage protests at every level against this “oppressive and inhumane measure.”
While the ruling elite indulge in luxury and royal privileges, he claimed, ordinary citizens are being mercilessly crushed under the weight of skyrocketing fuel prices. “This is the most brutal price hike in Pakistan’s history, shattering the backs of households already struggling to meet their basic needs.”
The PTI spokesperson lamented that the government’s sheer incompetence, failed IMF negotiations, and slavish economic policies have dumped the entire burden squarely on the public, with over 50 percent of the population—already trapped in poverty—now bearing the full brunt of this injustice.
“Fuel price hikes have already driven transport fares up by nearly 60 percent, whether for rickshaws, buses, or any other form of public transport,” he added, highlighting the widespread suffering inflicted on ordinary citizens.
“Had Imran Khan not been imprisoned, the nation would not be facing this catastrophic crisis, nor would the people be crushed under the relentless roller of rising costs,” Waqas claimed. He recalled that in 2022, when Imran Khan’s democratically elected government was ousted through a regime-change conspiracy, petrol was Rs150 per liter and diesel Rs144 per liter.
He appealed to the public not to remain silent spectators but to raise their peaceful voices in defence of their constitutional and democratic rights.
