PESHAWAR/MARDAN: Opposition parties and traders on Saturday rejected the hike in petroleum and electricity prices and urged the federal government to withdraw it.

In separate statements, ANP central senior vice-president Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Qaumi Watan Party provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president Amir Muqam and Traders’ Alliance provincial president Mujeebur Rehman called the record oil price hike a ‘petrol bomb’.

Mr Hoti said the government had completely failed to provide relief to the people from inflation and instead, it had forced the people to commit suicide.

“Increasing oil prices every fortnight is unfair,” he said demanding the immediate withdrawal of hike in oil and power rates.

PML-N leader Amir Muqam said the federal government had dropped another petrol bomb on the people in the shape of record high petroleum prices.

Insist people struggling to make ends meet

He said despite making tall claims of providing relief to the poor people, ‘selected’ Prime Minister Imran Khan had added to the people’s misery by hiking oil prices yet another time.

He said the people were already struggling to make ends meet.

“The wrong policies of the government have pushed the country towards civil war, so the prime minister should step down for the early yet fair and free elections,” he said.

QWP leader Sikandar Sherpao said the prices of essential commodities were growing unchecked, so the people would soon take to the streets to oust the incompetent government.

Meanwhile, acting president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Imran Khan also rejected the unprecedented increase in petroleum products and frequent hike in electricity and gas tariffs and urged the government to withdraw them immediately.

He noted that the persistent increase in prices of electricity, gas and petroleum had slowed down industrial, commercial and economic activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Imran said the cost of industrial productivity would escalate due to the growing oil and power prices and thus, adversely affecting economy and badly hitting the poor people.

He criticised the government’s ‘inconsistent’ economic policies, which, he said, was multiplying the misery of pandemic-hit businesses.

“The government should announce a special fiscal relief package for small traders and industrialists to revitalise businesses and trade activities in a normal way,” he said.

The acting SCCI president also demanded uninterrupted electric and gas supply to industries in the province.

Trader leader Mujeebur Rehman said the record price hike had badly hit the people, who struggled to support families.

He said the government had no concrete plan to control joblessness in the country.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party announced that it would demonstrate in different districts against price hike.

STRIKE: The Peshawar High Court Bar Association on Saturday expressed concern about the growing prices of essential goods in the country and decided to observe a strike against them on Oct 18 (Monday).

A meeting of the association was held here under the chairmanship of its president, Bahlol Khattak, to discuss the rising prices of essential commodities and the misery caused by them to the people.

It decided that apart from observing strike on Oct 18, an emergency meeting would also be held that day followed by a protest procession.

Also, provincial president of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Ameer Muqam has flayed the record hike in oil prices and said the incompetent PTI government’s move would render the people’s life more miserable.

He was talking to reporters after attending the funeral prayer of the uncle of PML-N provincial lawmaker Jamshed Khan Mohmand in Shergarh area in Mardan district.

The PML-N leader said the government’s economic policies were so flawed that more and more people were struggling to make both ends meet.

“Imran Khan is no more acceptable to the people as the PM,” he said.

Mr Muqam said the rulers were making money but the people were in distress.

He said only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could steer the country out of the current political and economic crises, so the people should help it oust the current corrupt and incompetent rulers and form the government.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party activists and traders demonstrated against growing prices of essential commodities.

The rally began from outside the residence of PPP leader Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti and ended at the Pakistan Chowk.

The protesters led by Khawaja Hoti warned if the prices of essential goods didn’t decrease, street protests would be carried out.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021