Sherry demands withdrawal of hike in petrol prices

ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the recent petrol price hike, Pakistan People’s Party Vice President and Chair Foreign Affairs Senate Standing Committee Sherry Rehman has urged the government to withdraw its decision to increase petrol prices.

“While international oil prices slide down by 2% this week, Tabahi Sarkar hikes petrol prices by a whopping Rs 5.40/litre mid-month. On what basis the PTI government has increased the petrol prices, as people are already facing skyrocketing inflation, spiralling gas prices and now another petrol bomb has been dropped on them,” she said.

She said it was shocking that this is the second time the prices of petroleum products had been increased in the last 15 days.

She said the PTI government had hiked petrol prices by Rs31 per litre in the last 3 years and now the petrol prices would be hiked once again to meet the petroleum levy of Rs620 billion. “The PTI government had vowed for the tsunami of change but in reality, the whole country is facing a tsunami of inflation and countless petrol bombs,” she said.

Sherry Rehman said as if this was not enough, Pakistan might be hit by a brewing LNG crisis again during September and October as the incompetent government had still not bought eight spot LNG cargoes. “The government refused to procure the LNG at the rate of $13.787-$16.0 per MMBTU (per million British thermal units),” she said.

She said it was surprising that Pakistan LNG limited has not uploaded the details of the bids it received on its official website. “Even private companies such as ENHRO has been asking government to initiate the dry docking a year ago, but they have been delaying it,” she said.

She said the government is now blaming Engro and SSGC (Sui Southern Gas Company) for the looming gas crisis. “Let’s not forget, the federal government has also delayed the purchase of furnace oil and ended up buying it in haste at an exorbitant price,” she said

She said the PTI cronies were making billions out of this crisis. “Who will take the responsibility for this crisis?” she questioned.

She said lives of the common citizens, who were already burdened by the spiralling gas prices, the LPG cylinder prices had been hiked by Rs6/kg.

She said the price of LNG was now 20 times higher in rural areas but why is the Petroleum Division silent. “The PTI mafia has also pocketed a whopping Rs 20 billion by misusing the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Policy,” she added.