LAHORE: Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for further increasing prices of petroleum products, the PPP fears it will lead to inflationary trend in prices of essential items adding to miseries of the masses.

Punjab chapter president Qamar Zaman Kaira and information secretary Hassan Murtaza said in a statement here on Wednesday that the masses were already overburdened by the price hike caused by ‘wrong’ policies and incompetence of the PTI government and with the advent of the new year the rulers increased oil prices which would consequently result in hike in rates of kitchen items.

They said the rulers seemed indifferent to the problems of the people and were not letting any chance to go without making them gloomy.

Mr Murtaza lamented that the government had also put a halt to provision of free medicines to cancer patients in the province.

He recalled that the Punjab Assembly speaker during a session had given the ruling that the government would ensure stock of medicines for three-month requirements and Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid had assured the house uninterrupted supply of drugs in the province.

He regretted that provision of drugs to cancer patients has been stopped as if these were to be offered from the personal pocket of the minister.

Demanding immediate restoration of the cancer drugs supply, he warned the party could take to the streets if the demand was not met.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2020