September 18, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 17, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 17: Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) has expressed concern over an increase of Rs3.50 per litre in diesel price, and warned of a public transport strike after Eid if the hike was not withdrawn by Sept 30.

A KTI meeting held on Wednesday with its president, Syed Irshad Hussain Shah Bukhari, in the chair, noted with concern that the diesel price had been increased five times after the present government took charge. An overall increase during this period came to Rs24.03 per litre.

The meeting observed that there had been a sharp decline in the oil prices in the international market over the past week and the crude oil price had come down as low as $88 per barrel but the Pakistan government had increased the diesel price instead of announcing a reduction.

Mr Bukhari demanded that petrol and diesel prices be reduced by at least Rs10 per litre.

The action committee of the Anjuman Ittehad-i-Bus Malikan headed by Mohammad Ashraf Banglori has also condemned the hike in the diesel price.—PPI