Shahbaz, Bilawal term fuel hike anti-poor

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Saturday rejected the fuel hike and termed it anti-poor step of the government.

Reacting to the increase in the prices of fuel, Shahbaz said first the government allowed the hoarding of petrol by decreasing its rates and then benefited the mafia by increasing its prices.

He said the prices of other commodities were not decreased when the fuel rates were decreased and they would also rise with the hike in petrol prices. He said the prime minister had no concern for the common man and their problems and he could not support the sinking economy due to his incompetence.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari rejected the increase terming it an anti-poor step of the government.

Bilawal said first the government allowed the hoarding of petrol by decreasing its rates and then benefited the petrol mafia by increasing prices. He said the prices of other commodities were not decreased when the fuel rates were decreased, but they would rise with the recent hike in petrol prices.

He said the selected prime minister had no concern for the common man and their problems adding that Imran Khan could not support the sinking economy due to his incompetence by looting money from the pockets of poor people.

PPP leader and former chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani condemned the increase in the fuel prices and said it was regrettable that now even the oil prices were being controlled by international imperialists like the IMF.

“The decision to hike the prices was announced earlier than scheduled date i.e. 1st of July 2020 and this decision was announced by the Ministry of Finance as opposed to the Oil and Gas regulatory Authority (Ogra). The Ministry of Finance made this decision after consultation with the IMF,” he said in a statement. Rabbani said the decision was taken without a summary by the Ogra.

He said the international cartel of oil companies, which was behaving like a mafia had succeeded in making the government succumb to its pressure.