LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has strongly condemned the PIA’s decision of increasing Umrah fare despite touching of the petrol prices at the lowest ebb in the international market.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, PTI’s Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry demanded that the federal government should take measures to withdraw the increase in the PIA fare for Umrah and instead cut the fare rate.

He said the government was also committing excesses against the poor masses by not reducing power tariff despite the continuous availability of petrol at much cheaper rates in the global market.

“The government must give relief to the masses by reducing power tariff -- as it is making claims,” Mr Chaudhry said.

Mr Chaudhry also regretted that the prices of daily use items were also standstill and there was no relief for the masses, adding the government needed to take emergency measures to give relief to them.

He also called upon all democratic forces to play their role in meeting the challenges being faced by the nation.

He said the PTI had ended its sit-ins in the national interest and now the government should take serious measures to eliminate terrorism.

Published in Dawn, December 22th, 2014