18 July 2004	Sunday	29 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 17: Central vice-president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N Tehmina Daultana and Senator Saadia Abbasi have condemned the government's decision of increasing gas rates.

In a statement here on Saturday, the PML-N leaders said the decision had once again exposed the claim of government regarding provision of economic relief to the poor and middle class people.

They recalled finance minister's declaration in parliament that the people would not be burdened with new taxes nor any mini budget would be announced during the financial year. "However, while his announcement still echoed in the Parliament House, the kitchen stoves of poor families have been switched off with the increase in gas rates proving that the promise of not bringing any mini budget was a lie," they added.

The PML-N leaders said brief analysis of the rates increased for different sectors showed that poor people would be end losers, who were already fast sinking below the poverty line due to countrywide unemployment and galloping price hikes.

The women legislators said the largest increase of 10 per cent had been imposed on fertiliser factories that would adversely affect the agrarian economy, which was already in bad shape due to negligence and incompetence of the present government; the resulting higher cost of inputs would spell misery for poor farmers. Similarly, the 5.7 per cent increase in rates for Wapda powerhouses would provide an excuse to Wapda to increase electricity rates, they added.

They said the burden of 5.7 per cent increase for industrial and commercial consumers of gas would ultimately be transferred to domestic consumers, who would have to pay 7.6 per cent more on their own gas bills.

The PML-N leaders said like all other decisions of the government, the decision to increase gas rates would also promote alien interests rather than the interests of the nation.