KARACHI, Feb 16: Various leaders of public opinion have condemned the latest increase in prices of petroleum products, saying that the decision will further escalate unemployment and decrease the buying power of the rupee.

The price of petrol has been increased by Rs1.55 per litre and that of diesel by Rs1.65 per litre — 4.70 per cent and 7.6 per cent, respectively.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNAs — Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, Abdul Sattar Afghani, Mohammad Laeeq Khan — and Jamaat-i-Islami Karachi chief Dr Mairajul Huda demanded withdrawal of the increase in the PoL prices and said that the petroleum policy be debated in the National Assembly.

They said that under the rubrics of deregularization of prices, the rates of petroleum products had been increased after every fortnight and its burden was being passed on to the masses.

“War against Iraq has not yet started but under the pretext of the issue life of the common man has been made miserable as prices of essential items have been skyrocketing,” they maintained.

SDA chief and MPA Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh said that within a month three-time increase in oil prices seemed to be an act of the bureaucracy to sabotage the government’s measures of providing relief to the public.

He said the government had formulated a policy to bring down the prices of essential items within two months of its coming to power, but the advisory committee has increased prices three times within a month which cast a setback in the government’s efforts to provide relief to the people.

Transporters: The Anjuman-i-Ittehad Bus Malekan and the All-Transport Drivers’ Welfare Association have condemned the recent increase in diesel prices, adds agencies.

In a statement on Sunday, the transporters said that the Oil Companies Advisory Committee and the government on the pretext of looming US-Iraq war had repeatedly been increasing the PoL prices.

They also criticized political parties for their inaction and silence on the issue.

The transporters demanded of the government to withdraw its decision immediately and restore the original price of petroleum products.