KARACHI: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, on Friday strongly condemned the sharp increase in petroleum prices, calling it a \u201cpetrol bomb\u201d dropped on the public by the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also announced the launch of a nationwide protest movement against the hike, urging citizens\u2014particularly the youth\u2014to come out and raise their voices for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to official figures, the price of petrol has been increased by Rs138 per litre, bringing it to Rs458.40 per litre, while diesel prices have risen by Rs184 per litre to Rs520.35 per litre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a video statement, Hafiz Naeem urged the government to defer payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and regasification plants, and instead reduce its own expenditures rather than placing an additional burden on the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He criticized the repeated increase in fuel prices, stating that it has pushed petrol rates to an unbearable level, severely impacting poor and middle-income groups.He added that such decisions are equivalent to \u201cburying people alive,\u201d as citizens are already struggling to meet their basic needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further said that not only fuel prices but taxes have also been increased, worsening the overall economic situation. According to him, motorcyclists, delivery workers, students, and daily wage laborers will be among the hardest hit by the latest hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Criticizing government spending, he alleged that authorities are unwilling to reduce their own luxuries while continuing to impose financial pressure on the public.Hafiz Naeem questioned why payments to IPPs\u2014amounting to billions under capacity charges\u2014cannot be deferred, claiming these payments are placing an undue burden on citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also highlighted that regasification plants installed at ports continue to receive daily payments despite no gas supply, questioning why these payments are not being stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Announcing the protest movement, he said demonstrations would begin nationwide from today and warned that the rulers would be forced to step back in the face of public pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KARACHI: Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman, on Friday strongly condemned the sharp increase in petroleum prices, calling it a \u201cpetrol bomb\u201d dropped on the public by the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-2795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan","tag-pakistan"],"yoast_head":"\n