Entire nation in coma over increase in petrol price: Yousaf Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday said the entire nation was in a state of coma over sharp increase in petroleum product prices.

Addressing the Senate session in Islamabad, Yousaf Gilani said people were already suffering from inflation and the government every other day kept increasing petrol and electricity prices. He pointed out that increasing their prices further pushed up inflation. “And when petrol price enhances it increases prices of overall commodities,” he said.

“I think you should be efficient in tax collection but not in burdening people with high prices,” he said.

Yousaf Raza Gilani said the prices of petroleum products had gone beyond the reach of the people. He said the opposition parties did not accept the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products.

Responding to the points of the leader of the opposition in the house, Leader of the House Shahzad Waseem said the government had resultantly borne revenue loss of Rs35 billion.

The leader of the house said the petroleum prices had increased by 35 per cent in the international market over the last two months because of various factors including the Ukraine situation.  He, however, said that as soon as the prices of petroleum products came down, the benefit would be transferred to the masses.

The house on Thursday passed a resolution recommending the government to take initiatives for empowerment of women and make them equal players in decision making related to climate change and sustainability.

Read more: Fawad seeks solution from opposition for not increasing petrol price

It acknowledged that the women are effective and powerful leaders and change maker for climate adaptation and mitigation because of their involvement in the sustainability initiatives around the world.  The resolution also appreciated that the barriers are being removed by the parliament and government to create linkages between gender, environment and sustainable development.

The Senate was informed that the government has brought the sales tax on petroleum products to zero and reduced the petroleum development levy in order to pass on to the people the minimum burden of unprecedented rise in the prices of petroleum products in the international market.

Earlier, Minister for Housing and Works Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema told the house during question hour that all the recruitments in the Ministry of Housing and its attached departments had been made as per the rules and regulations and quota.

The Senate unanimously passed Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) bill, 2022, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Second) Amendment Bill, 2022 and Allied Health Professionals Council Bill, 2022.

These were moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan.

The House has now been prorogued.