Motion against insufficient reduction in petroleum prices moved in Senate

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) have termed the recent cut of Rs5 in the petroleum product prices insufficient and took the matter to the Senate by submitting a motion in the Senate Secretariat to debate the issue.

Senator Farhatullah Babar submitted the motion in the Senate Secretariat seeking a debate on it, saying “a matter of urgent public importance arising out of not reducing the petroleum product prices commensurate with the fall in international oil prices and not even as recommended by Ogra”. It says, “Ogra recently recommended price reduction of Rs11 per litre which itself was too little in view of the sharp decline in oil prices in international market. However, the government announced a mere Rs5 per litre reduction”.

The motion stated, “It is not only a joke with the people but also raises serious questions about wasteful and non-transparent utilisation of windfall gains the government has made from the massive and continuous reduction in global oil prices.”

Senator Farhatullah Babar in the motion stated whereas inflation and joblessness were on the rise and prices of essential commodities in the country were also continuously rising and the people expected that the steep fall in the global oil prices would be utilised to provide them some relief. “These legitimate expectations have been dashed to the ground by the insensitive and irrational decision of not passing on the benefit of nose diving oil prices to the people thereby creating a deep sense of frustration, helplessness and despondency,” the motion stated.

The motion says that “The House may be adjourned to  discuss this matter of grave and urgent public importance with a view to persuading the government to revisit its oil price policies to provide relief to the people and stem the rising tide of frustration and despondency.”