ISLAMABAD, Feb 5: Leader of opposition in Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has condemned the increased in gas prices.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr Rabbani said the eight per cent increase in gas prices would further burden the middle and working classes.

He said it was on February 2 that the government had increased the prices of petroleum and its products. These increases had a crippling effect on the budget of the common man for whom the cost of transportation and rates of daily-use items registered a tremendous increase. The poor people were still grappling with the increase in petroleum prices when gas rates were increased, he said.

"The government is pursuing an anti-people policy and is allowing the oil marketing companies cartel to maximize their profits and transfer them out of Pakistan at the cost of the common man. This is a government which represents a handful of big business houses, and is working to frame policies for them to reap huge profits while the common man is hand to mouth," the PPP leader said.