PESHAWAR: The leaders of opposition parties on Wednesday expressed concern over increase in prices of petroleum products and asked the government to withdraw the decision.

PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam in a statement here described the increase in fuel prices as ‘petrol bomb’ for poor people and asked the government to bring the prices at the level of 2018 to facilitate consumers.

“Imran Khan had promised to bring petrol price at Rs46 per litre when he was in opposition, but he failed to fulfil his commitment after becoming prime minister,” he said. He added that increase in fuel, power, LPG, edibles and natural gas prices would lead to further inflation.

The PML-N leader said the government would be unable to pay salaries to employees in near future if it did not take appropriate steps to strengthen national economy.

Qaumi Watan Party provincial vice-chairperson Dr Faiza Rashid also expressed concerns over the recent rise in prices of petroleum products, saying rising inflation forced people to commit suicide.

In a statement, she said whenever Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of increase in price of any daily use item the next day the price of that commodity went up.

The QWP leader demanded of the government to take back the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products and provide relief to people. She said the government had no concrete plan to strengthen national economy and was increasing the prices of power, gas, petroleum products, sugar and wheat flour to make life of the poverty-hit people miserable.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2020