ISLAMABAD, Sept 5: The Supreme Court was moved on Monday to declare pricing formula of the Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) inconsistent and in derogation of fundamental rights of the people. Petitioner Maulvi Iqbal Haider of the Awami Himayat Tehrik contended that increase of oil prices from time to time by the OCAC was pushing up the cost of daily life automatically, thus frustrating the concept of annual budgets passed through the parliament.

He requested the court to declare the recent increase in petrol price by Rs3.67 per litre and that of diesel by Rs2.85 unconstitutional, illegal and arbitrary.

He sought a court directive to restore earlier prices of the petroleum products to those of before Sept 1.

According to the petition, the OCAC formula is against the constitutional guarantees in respect of taxation and the OCAC is levying taxes against the principle laid down in Article 77 under which tax could not be levied without the approval of parliament.

The federal government, secretary ministry of petroleum, chairman OCAC and high ups of the Attock Petroleum, Caltex Oil, Pakistan State Oil, Shell Pakistan, Total Parco, Emmanuel Laurenty, National Refinery, Pak Arab Refinery and Pakistan Refinery are respondents.

The petitioner pleaded the increase encouraged the whole-sellers and traders to enhance the prices of essential commodities at their own will at the cost of the common people.