Pak Opposition parties, traders reject hike in petroleum prices

Peshawar [Pakistan], February 18 : Pakistan's Opposition political parties and traders on Thursday criticized the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's for increasing petroleum prices and demanded immediate withdrawal of the decision, local media reported.
In Peshawar, Jamaat-i-Islami workers and members of various traders' organizations took out a joint protest procession in the city and held a rally at Qissa Khwani Bazaar against the hike in fuel prices, Dawn newspaper reported.
The people raised slogans against the Imran Khan government for raising the price of petrol by Rs 12.3 per litre and said inflation had already made life miserable for the poor and the recent increase would trigger an unprecedented increase in prices of essential commodities.
The protesters said the ruling government was toeing the line of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instead of adopting its own economic policy. In the prevailing situation, they said, people had been left with the only option to die by suicide, the Pakistani newspaper reported.
The protesters warned of launching a movement against the government if the fuel price increase was not withdrawn immediately, Dawn newspaper reported.
It further reported that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) women wing provincial president Senator Rubina Khalid and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) provincial president Amir Muqam in their separate statements on Thursday also expressed their anger over the increase in prices of petroleum products and asked the Imran Khan government to review the decision.
They said that a sharp increase in transportation charges would directly affect the prices of daily-use commodities. They asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to control inflation or step down without wasting time.