ISLAMABAD: The Pak­istan Peoples Party (PPP) has condemned the federal government’s decision to increase prices of the petroleum products on the eve of New Year and threatened to launch an agitation against it.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari termed the decision of increasing the oil prices “an open enmity with the nation” and demanded of the government not only to withdraw the increase, but announce at least 50 per cent reduction in the prices.

“Immediately reduce the prices by 50pc or be ready to face protests,” he warned.

The PPP chairman issued the statement hours after the government announced an increase of up to Rs7 in the prices of different petroleum products.

The government claims that it has not passed on to the consumers the full impact of increase in the prices of petrol and high speed diesel in the global market and that the prices of the petroleum products in Pakistan are still lower than all the neighbouring countries.

Bilawal threatens to launch agitation against govt decision

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP would bring the people of the country out of the economic mess created by the present rulers, “who have been sucking the blood of the poor for the past four years”. He said the Sharif brothers were responsible for the present state of economy and rocketing price-hike in the country.

Meanwhile, in a separate message former president Asif Ali Zardari has greeted the nation with ‘Happy New Year’ on the dawn of 2018 on Monday and expressed the hope that the New Year will usher in peace and prosperity within the country, in the region and in the world at large.

“Let us resolve on the eve of the New Year to banish militancy and religious extremism from our midst, reject theocracy and draw inspiration from the Quaid’s August 11, 1947 speech that religion will have nothing to do with the business of the state,” he said in his message to the nation.

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2018