KARACHI, Oct 16: The National Transport Ittehad (NTI), the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) and the Anjuman-i-Ettehad Bus Malikan (AEBM) have urged the government to withdraw the increase in the petroleum prices.

In separate statements issued here on Wednesday, they said that the petroleum prices in the international market had decreased in the recent weeks and there was no justification to further increase the prices.

They said that with the frequent increase in petroleum prices, the transport business was no more profitable and transporters were facing hardship.

Arshad Hussain Shah Bukhari, president KTI appealed to President Musharraf to either decrease the prices of petroleum products or increase fares as per the agreed formula. Chairman NTI Saleem Khan Bangah demanded that the authorities either take back the increase or revise transport fares. He warned that otherwise transporters would be compelled to stop working for an unlimited period of time. Meanwhile, acting secretary-general Pakistan Peoples Party, Mian Raza Rabbani, termed the rise in oil prices unfortunate.

In a statement on Wednesday he alleged that the present government had decided to increase the petroleum development levy on petrol to cover its expenses.—APP/PPI