News
Monday, April 02, 2012
Fuel price hike draws countrywide criticism* Traders, industrialists threaten civil disobedience, closure of industries if increase not withdrawn in three days
* Transporters announce to raise fares after 24 hours
* PML-N announces boycott of PCNS meeting to protest POL price hike
KARACHI/LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Traders, industrialists, transporters and political parties in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other parts of the country on Sunday strongly protested the latest hike in petroleum and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) prices, threatening the government with mass protests and civil disobedience if the increases were not withdrawn in three days.
The protesters said the increase in fuel prices would affect the prices of other commodities, causing further inflation in the country. Petrol and CNG consumers across the country urged the government to take back the recent increases.
All Pakistan CNG Association, petroleum dealers associations, chambers of commerce, citizen groups and various consumer rights associations have called their meetings today (Monday) to decide their stance on the issue.
Karachi Traders Alliance said if the government did not withdraw the decision, they would start a civil disobedience movement after 72 hours. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Irfan Qaiser Sheikh and the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) president gave similar threats, saying they would close their industries after three days if the increases were not rescinded.
All Pakistan CNG Association leader Ghayas Paracha lamented that despite their repeated demands and meetings with the government on the issue of CNG prices, the ministry concerned had increased the price, making it the highest in the history of the country, depriving the masses of cheap fuel. “We have called our meeting where our office-bearers from all parts of the country would participate and announce future course of action on this crucial issue,” he said.
All Pakistan Transporters Association warned that transport fares would be increased after 24 hours. Although the Punjab Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Secretary has not issued any notification regarding increase in transport fares, transport owners in various cities, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Multan, have already raised fares by 10 to 15 percent. In Lahore, the Inter-City Transport Ittehad announced a raise of 10 percent in the fares of local transport in the city.
Punjab Urban Transport Owners Association Secretary-General Arshad Khan Niazi said that transport fares would be increased to protest the increase in fuel prices. He said transport fare on inter-city routes would be increased by five percent, while the increase would reach 10 percent during the days when CNG stations would remain closed.
Various political parties – including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – also criticised the latest increase in prices of petroleum and CNG.
The PML-N announced to boycott the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) to protest the hike in fuel prices. Opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan called the increase a cruel and unjust act on part of the government. Khan said that as a first step against that anti-people decision of the government, his party would boycot the meeting of the PCNS. The committee is engaged in reviewing its own recommendations regarding new terms of engagement with the United States.
The two major parties in the ruling coalition, the MQM and ANP, also rejected the increase in prices of petroleum products, saying the PPP did not take them into confidence on the matter.
MQM MNA Asif Hussain said the PPP always made decisions without taking the allies onboard. “If the price hike is not taken back, the MQM has some options,” he said, adding that the matter would be decided in a meeting of the Rabita Committee of the MQM.
ANP MNA Bushra Rehman, when asked to comment on the issue, said that the rich class should be brought into the tax net instead of putting more burden on the poor. She said the ANP was against the policy of increasing oil prices every month, adding that the government should reduce its expenditure.
The PTI also condemned the increase in petroleum prices, terming it another inflation bomb on the masses. staff report/agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk