Court moved against hike in petroleum products prices

LAHORE:Recent increase in the prices of petroleum products has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) through a writ petition.

The federal government, Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (OGRA) have been made respondents in the plea. The petition stated that the federal government increased the prices of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products for the month of January despite decrease in its prices at the international market.

It said the OGRA was collecting more than 17 per cent sales tax on the sale of petroleum products. The petitioner, thus, has pleaded the court to declare the recent increase in the fuel prices illegal and unconstitutional and issue directives for the authorities concerned to reduce the prices.

Javed Latif: National Accountability Bureau Lahore on Wednesday grilled PML-N leader Javed Latif in an inquiry related to assets beyond means and misuse of authority. It is learnt that Javed appeared before the combined investigation team of the bureau which questioned him for more than two hours.

After the hearing, Javed while talking to the media men said that the government should pass a unanimous bill to eliminate the NAB law. He termed NAB law a draconian one.

Previously, the NAB chairman had directed the Lahore NAB under Section 34(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 to hold an inquiry against Javed over the charges of misuse of authority and assets beyond means. After which, the NAB Lahore had constituted an eight-member combined investigation team (CIT) to probe the alleged misuse of authority under Section 9 (a) of NAO and Section 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010. Javed Latif, an MNA from Sheikhupura, had allegedly acquired assets worth billions of rupees in the name of his siblings after coming into politics.