ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Saturday unequivocally rejected the federal government’s announcement of oil price relief, asserting that the move is a calculated bid to mask a steep and unjustified price hike imposed on the public only a day earlier.
PTI insisted that the prime minister’s admission in his national address — that the initial decision on prices of petroleum products was taken without cabinet consultation — raises serious constitutional and governance concerns.
“Under the Constitution, the federal government operates as a collective body through the cabinet, not as a one-man authority,” the party emphasised. It also questioned whether such an extraordinary increase in petroleum prices was made unilaterally.
The party said the so-called relief is what it called merely a cosmetic reversal aimed at deflecting mounting public outrage rather than offering any meaningful economic respite to citizens already struggling under skyrocketing inflation.
In a statement issued here, PTI reaffirmed that it would continue to raise its voice against what it termed economic injustice and would not compromise on the rights of the people under any circumstances.
The party pointed out that the government first dropped a petrol bomb on the public by imposing a massive increase in fuel prices, only to attempt a partial rollback under mounting public pressure and portray it as relief.
It charged the so-called Form 47-imposed federal government raised petrol prices by Rs137 per litre and diesel by Rs184 per litre, sparking widespread outrage across the country. Within 24 hours, amid intense public backlash and PTI’s forceful response, the government announced Rs80 per litre reduction in petrol prices. However, diesel prices remain unchanged, the statement added.
“As a result, petrol is still Rs57 per litre higher than its previous rate, while diesel continues to stand at an unprecedented Rs520 per litre. This is entirely unacceptable,” the party asserted. The party described the recent press conference by federal ministers as political theatre designed to distract public attention from the core issue. PTI maintained that the emotional narrative being projected cannot obscure what it called a calculated attempt to bridge a widening tax shortfall by imposing excessive levies and taxes on already burdened citizens.
According to the party, the actual base cost of petrol is approximately Rs250 per litre, while the remaining amount is being extracted from the public in the form of various taxes and petroleum levies. PTI also criticised the announcement of free public transport and a limited subsidy of Rs2,000 for 20 litres of petrol restricted to 70cc motorcycle owners, terming it a tokenistic and discriminatory measure.
The party questioned whether citizens who own 100cc or 125cc motorcycles, or small vehicles such as Mehran and Alto cars, should now be regarded as affluent. Such selective relief measures, it said, only underscore the insincerity and political nature of the government’s claims of public support.
Placing the issue in a broader economic context, PTI noted that with diesel priced at Rs520 per litre — an all-time high — commercial activity, transportation, and the agricultural sector are facing immense pressure. The party particularly highlighted the ongoing wheat harvesting season, stating that farmers are finding it nearly impossible to sustain operations amid such exorbitant fuel costs.
PTI demanded the immediate withdrawal of what it termed unnecessary taxes and petroleum levies on petrol and called for its price to be fixed at Rs300 per litre. It further urged the government to bring diesel prices down to previous levels without delay, stressing that inflation, transport fares, and the prices of essential commodities are directly tied to diesel costs.
