LOWER DIR: On the call of Jamaat-i-Islami’s ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, a protest demonstration was held in Timergara on Friday, the district headquarters of Lower Dir, against the sharp rise in prices of petroleum products, sugar, and electricity, as part of the party’s countrywide campaign.

The protesters marched on foot for two kilometers from Ahyaul Uloom Balambat to Gorgorai Chowk, chanting anti-government slogans. Holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans against price hikes, they condemned the government for what they called “intolerable inflation”.

Addressing the protest, former MNA and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Lower Dir district ameer Maulana Asadullah Khan said that while the oil prices were steadily declining in the international market, the government had continuously been burdening the public with price hike. He noted that the recent increase of over Rs11 per litre in diesel and over Rs5per litre in petrol price had become unbearable for the common man.

He demanded of that the government to immediately rein in the sugar mafia and also reduce the electricity tariff.

The JI’s district secretary general, Shoaib Ahmad strongly condemned the hike in petroleum prices, terming it “economic terrorism.” He demanded an immediate reversal of the recent hike and called for a transparent, permanent, and people-friendly policy for determining fuel prices.

Besides, Maulana Asadullah Khan and Shoaib Ahmed, the demonstration was also addressed by the JI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s spokesperson and other local leaders.

The speakers alleged that the sugar cartel was looting the public with the backing of those at the helm of affairs. They urged the government to reverse the recent price increase and provide relief to people, who were badly affected by the rising inflation.

Meanwhile, the recent increase in petroleum prices has sparked widespread outrage among the people of Lower Dir, who have strongly condemned the government’s decision to raise prices in the dead of night.

Speaking to media on Friday, the local residents said that while global oil prices are continuously falling, the Pakistani government had been increasing fuel prices every 15 days, making life increasingly difficult for the poor. They said that the recent hike in petrol and diesel prices was absolutely unacceptable.

They demanded that the current fortnightly price adjustment mechanism be abolished and replaced with a quarterly system to provide some relief to the public.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2025