Opposition leaders, masses lambaste govt for hiking POL prices

In addition to political parties, people from all walks of life also thronged social media to condemn the government for dropping another bomb of price hike. 

The Ministry of Finance today notified hike in price of petrol by Rs10.49 per litre, High-Speed Diesel by Rs12.44, Kerosene Oil by Rs10.95 and Light Diesel Oil by Rs8.84 per litre.

The notification claimed that in the current scenario, the government has absorbed the pressure and provided maximum relief to consumers by keeping the Petroleum Levy and Sales Tax to a minimum.

Soon after the announcement, top political leaders and Opposition parties condemned the government's move and demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan's resignation.

پٹرولیم مصنوعات کی قیمتیں تاریخ کی بلند ترین سطح پر جانے پر اپوزیشن نے حکومت پر تنقید کے نشتر برسا دئیے#PetrolDieselPrice #GNN pic.twitter.com/Jnn6ROIfl6

— GNN (@gnnhdofficial) October 16, 2021

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif termed the increase as “utterly shameful” and said that the latest hike, along with the petrol bomb, will push people to the brink of starvation.

“No words to describe the extreme cruelty this selected PTI regime has inflicted on people in the form of yet another increase in prices of items of daily use,” the PML-N president said.

Shahbaz Sharif said PM Imran Khan has no right to remain in office and demanded his resignation.

“PM Imran’s resignation could provide some relief to the nation,” the PML-N leader said, adding that “mini budgets” are proof of the incumbent government's economic failures. 

In a statement and tweet, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said the PTI government has brought a “tsunami of inflation” in the country, reacting to the hike in petrol price. 

“The government is actually charging people for its incompetence. During the PPP era, the burden of rising petroleum prices and products in the world market was never shifted to the masses, he said.

By making petrol and diesel prices unbearable, Imran Khan has proved he is an enemy of the masses – Chairman PPP @BBhuttoZardari #PetrolPrice. . https://t.co/DfONE5MZSZ

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) October 16, 2021

“Only PPP’s people-friendly government can save the country from the tsunami of inflation.”

Bilawal Bhutto said increasing the price of petrol a day after the hike in power tariff proves Imran Khan is an anti-people prime minister.

He asked the people to support the PPP to get rid of the government which is pushing Pakistan into the mire of inflation.

Petrol price remained the top trend on Twitter today #PetrolPrice. Twitteraties shared mixed comic and taunting tweets and photographs to criticise the price hike.  

'PTI minsiter defend price hike'

Some federal ministers came to the rescue of incraese in POL prices, citing reasons of inflated prices of energey internationally.