PESHAWAR: Rejecting the recently-announced hike in the prices of petroleum products, traders and transporters have said that the government’s decision will multiply the difficulties of people.

In their separate statements here on Tuesday, Sartaj Ahmad Khan, the regional coordinator of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Tanzeem-i-Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesman Shehzad Ahmad Khan and Pakistan Businessman Forum senior vice president Mushtaq Ahmad Khalil said that frequent hike in power and gas tariffs and in prices of petroleum products would lead to complete closure of industrial units and business activities in the country.

Shehzad said that traders rejected increase in the prices of petroleum products and power and gas tariffs by the government. He said that increase in prices of petroleum products would force people to commit suicide.

He said that slavery of International Monetary Fund (IMF) would destroy the economy of the country. He said that government had to end its luxuries and think about the future of the people and the country.

Threaten to launch protest against price hike and inflation

“Due to this rising inflation, it has become impossible for people to make both ends meet. Due to respect for Muharram and security concerns, traders were silent on these issues. If the government continues to follow the dictates of IMF, traders across the province will soon launch a protest movement,” he said.

Shehzad said that traders would not hesitate to offer any kind of sacrifice to get rid of those problems. He said that they were waiting for a call to be given by their national level leaders for shutter down strike against the price hike.

Similarly, Sartaj Ahmad also said that government dropped a ‘petrol bomb’ on the people by increasing fuel prices. He asked the government to withdraw the decision immediately.

“It is felt that the strategy of drowning the economy is being implemented wholeheartedly. In the current situation where people do not even have two meals a day, the rulers are increasing the prices of petroleum products, electricity and natural gas,” he said.

He said that increase in the prices of petroleum products, power and gas was unjust. “By dropping this petrol bomb, the government did not show seriousness in any way. It is necessary to use wisdom and steer the country out of this serious economic crisis,” he said.

He feared that the country could face a default in case the inflation continued to increase and government continued to get loans.

Likewise, Mushtaq said that Pakistan Business Forum rejected increase in petrol prices by Rs20 per litre. “Voters will remember these incompetent rulers and will take revenge from them through ballot in the upcoming elections,” he added.

He said that Pakistan Business Forum would strongly oppose the decision by holding protests across the country. He said that government was responsible for the price hike in the country.

Public Transport Owners Association provincial president Khan Zaman Afridi also rejected the increase in prices of petroleum products and demanded of government to withdraw the decision. He said that such decisions of government badly affected people.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2023