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LAHORE, Oct 3: Advocate M. D. Tahir on Monday filed an application with the Lahore High Court seeking a directive against the federal government to withdraw the recent raise in petroleum products price.
The application followed a writ petition which the LHC is already adjudicating since early this year.
The petitioner submitted that the recent raise in oil prices had added to economic miseries of the people who were already reeling under the mounting cost of living and an overwhelming majority of whom were already finding it difficult to keep the body and soul together.
He requested the court to instruct the federal government to sell petrol at Rs20 a litre, diesel at Rs16 a litre and kerosene at Rs13 a litre. He requested the court that the advisory committee of oil companies, which was deciding the raise after every two weeks without a solid reason, be directed to bring down the prices as suggested by the petitioner.
The federal government is yet to submit a reply although the LHC issued notices in June.
BLACK DAY: The Pakistan Bar Council will observe a black day on Friday in protest against the recent raise in prices of petroleum products. The PBC also announce Oct 12 as another ‘nationwide black day’, the day when military rule was enforced six years ago.
Speaking at a news conference, PBC vice-chairperson Hafiz Abdur Rehman Ansari, executive committee chairperson Hamid Khan and the Lahore High Court Bar Association president Fakharun Nisa Khokhar said that the prices of petroleum products had made the living miserable.
They said that petrol was Rs32 a litre when the military took over on Oct 12, 1999. Within six years its prices had almost doubled. “The fresh raise has been announced just before Ramazan which is a cruel joke with the distressed people.” Talking about the military rule, they said that it had damaged all the national institutions and the constitution. The judiciary was also a major victim and the country was under the grip of extreme lawlessness and the right of the people to rule through their chosen representatives was badly being impaired. They also criticized the recent elevations to the Supreme Court and said once again merit had been ignored.
