LAHORE: The two main opposition leaders of the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, on Saturday rejected the federal government’s increase in petrol prices, terming it an “atrocity”.
Calling the price hike “sugar scandal part two”, Shehbaz Sharif said that the prime minister’s statements about caring for the people had been “proven hollow”.
He claimed that the PTI government had “played a horrific game with the masses”, saying this was “proof the government did not want the economy to run”.
“After the sugar mafia, the petrol mafia has won. The government has given the petrol mafia licence to loot the public. Thus proven that this is a government of inefficient, insensitive and oppressive people. An oppressive government cannot continue,” he said in a statement.
He demanded that the government “immediately” take back the increase in prices, saying that this was “not the time to clean the people’s pockets”.
“We will protest against this atrocity on every forum including the parliament,” he said.
In a separate statement, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto also rejected the hike in prices.
“Increasing petrol prices at a time when the public should be given further relief is anti-people. Those who have increased the prices by a record high are the same ones who used to criticise minor increases previously,” he said.
He claimed that the prime minister “could not support the sinking economy as a result of his own inefficiency by looting the people’s pockets”.
“Imran Khan has allowed the mafias to benefit by first reducing the prices so it (fuel) could be hoarded and then increasing them. The premier has no worry about the people,” he added.
