PESHAWAR: With the people from all walks of life criticising the federal government over the fresh increase in petroleum prices, the transporters in the province on Saturday announced they would increase the fare of inter-city transport vehicles from tomorrow (Monday) on their own.

Sarhad Transport Owners Association Peshawar president Khan Zaman Afridi told Dawn that different transporter unions had decided on Rs10 increase in the inter-city fare from April 3 (Monday) feeling that continuing with the current fare wasn’t feasible.

He said there were few CNG filling stations on the Motorway and therefore, transporters used petrol.

Sarhad Petroleum Dealers Association president Mansoor Sharif said the latest increase in the prices of petroleum products had forced petrol dealers to increase their commission though the government was unwilling to do so.

He said petrol dealers used to get more than Rs3 commission per liter during the Musharraf government but that had currently gone down to Rs2.

Politicians flay PML-N govt over higher fuel rates

Mr Sharif said the government’s ‘uncertain business policies’ had forced many foreigners to pack up business in the country during the last few years.

He also complained that the district administration was teasing owners of filling stations through unwarranted raids and imposition of fines on different pretexts.

Awami National Party general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain expressed concern about the increase in the prices of petrol and liquefied petroleum gas and declared it an ‘anti-people step’ of the federal government.

“The government should fix petrol rates in accordance with international market ones and stop fleecing people. It is bound to facilitate the people, make plans to overcome poverty and unemployment and begin public welfare schemes,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islami provincial chief Mushtaq Ahmad Khan also flayed higher oil prices and said his party had challenged the ‘unjustified’ petrol price hike in the Peshawar High Court.

“The rates of petroleum products have gone up five times during the last two and a half months. That is unwarranted and groundless,” he said.

The JI leader warned his party would launch a protest movement against the escalating inflation rate.

He said 50 percent of the petroleum products were used domestically and therefore, a little increase in their price adversely affected the people, especially those from the low-income groups.

Mr Mushtaq said after the payment of all taxes and transportation charges, the government secured petrol for Rs30 per liter and earned over 100 percent profit on its sales.

He said higher petrol and diesel prices meant higher rates of over 300 kitchen items but unfortunately, the government was indifferent to the inflation-hit common man.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2017