Caretaker government not authorised to increase POL prices: PPP leader

MULTAN: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has condemned the attack on party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during the election rally in Karachi.

Addressing a press conference at the press club here on Tuesday, PPP senior leader Habibullah Shakir said this cowardly attack cannot break the PPP’s commitment with the people of Pakistan.

He demanded the Punjab caretaker government for strict security during the visit of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He will start his visit from Sadiqabad to onward in south Punjab.

The PPP leader rejected increase in petroleum prices, saying the caretaker government was not authorised to increase the POL prices. Their mandate is to only hold free, fair and transparent elections. He said the petroleum prices had been reduced in the international market but the caretaker government had increased its prices.

He appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan for abolishing unjustified taxes on petrol. He condemned PML-N candidate from Muzaffargarh, Haroon Basit Sultan Bokhari on campaigning against a female.

The PML-N candidate has claimed that casting vote to female was against Islam.

He announced his complete support to the PPP candidates contesting elections in south Punjab. The political and economic programme is the key to the solution of country’s problems. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari only made those promises and commitments which he can fulfill. He demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections for all candidates.

Shakir criticised the US demand of doing more as Pakistan has sacrificed 70,000 precious lives in war on terror besides bearing additional expenses on 2200 kilometers long fencing at the Pak-Afghan border. On the other hand, the US was keeping a mum on the gross human rights violations in Indian held Kashmir.

Over a dozen PML-N workers, including Rana Abdul Waheed, Rana Shamoon, Rana Amir, Nadeem Qureshi, Faizan Qureshi, Malik Irfan and others resigned from the basic membership of the PML-N and joined the PPP. All of them belonged to NA-157 Multan-IV. They have announced their support to PPP candidate Ali Musa Gilani.