QWP rejects hike in POL tariff

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao on Tuesday rejected the increase in the prices of the petroleum products and said the fresh hike would cause more inflation.

In a statement, he said the purchasing power of the people had also eroded due to soaring price-hike and the fresh increase in the POL rates would push the people under the poverty line. Sikandar Sherpao said the government should adopt austerity measures and cut its expenditure instead of burdening the have-nots. He said the increase in the prices of the petroleum products would lead to a hike in the transportation charges of the goods and food items. The QWP leader said the people were unable to feed their families let alone send them to schools so the rulers should consider their plight.

Sikandar Sherpao said the government should cut its non-development expenditure and provide some respite to the have-nots in the wake of rising inflation.

He added the poor people were already grappling with skyrocketing inflation and increase in the POL prices would make life miserable for them. However, he said the government was least bothered to take into account the problems being faced by the commoners.