Leaders from political, transport, and business sectors have strongly condemned the latest surge in petroleum prices, describing it as “the height of injustice” for ordinary citizens, with petrol now priced at Rs458 per litre and diesel at Rs520 per litre.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik late Thursday night announced a harp increase in fuel prices, raising petrol by Rs137.23 per litre to Rs458.41 and high-speed diesel by Rs184.49 per litre to Rs520.35. The minister attributed the hikes to the ongoing Middle East conflict and rising global energy costs.
Reacting to hike in POL prices, the Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, termed the increase “an extreme injustice” and said it would disproportionately affect lower- and middle-income households.
Stressing that the hike is "unacceptable," he warned that bikers, delivery workers, students, and daily wage earners would bear the brunt of the price hike.
“The government has raised petrol by Rs55 initially and Rs137 in the latest revision — this is beyond cruelty,” the JI chief said, urging immediate relief measures.
The IPPs are being paid billions of rupees with no relief to the common man in Pakistan, he added, announcing that the Jamaat will protest across Pakistan against the hike today.
Shafee Jan, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, criticised the Centre's decision, saying that setting petrol at Rs458 and diesel at Rs520 is an "extreme act of injustice.”
He attributed the fuel crisis to flawed economic policies of the federal government and said that public patience has reached its limit.
Transport associations have also voiced alarm over the POL prices being raised. The Pakistan Public Transport Owner Association has called an emergency meeting in Lahore today, with its chairman stressing that fares cannot be increased in line with the spike in diesel prices.
He warned that continued escalation may force transporters out of business, leaving commuters stranded.
The transport sector in Karachi also reacted sharply. Malik Shahzad, President of the Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance, condemned the fuel price hike, announcing a 60% increase in freight charges to cope with rising costs.
He warned that if policies are not revised, the country’s transport system might come to a halt, and inflation would surge further.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Business Forum expressed disappointment over the government’s decision to raise petroleum levies to Rs160 per litre despite extraordinary circumstances.
The group called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately abolish the levy, stressing that the burden on businesses and consumers is becoming unsustainable.
