Govt once again planning ‘dangerous’ petrol price hike, says PPP leader

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice-President Senator Sherry Rehman on Friday said the government was planning to raise petrol price once again, using the pretext of international oil prices going past $100 per barrel.

In a tweet, Sherry Rehman said, “#TabahiSarkar is once again planning a dangerous petrol price hike, which is already at Rs160/L.”

She said during the PPP’s time, international oil went over a $110/bbl and yet the government had managed to keep petrol prices well below Rs100.

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“With an increase of Rs2 per unit, Rs290 billion will be collected from consumers. In the last three years, this government has increased electricity prices by more than 52 per cent, yet the circular debts have been increasing instead of decreasing,” Sherry Rehman had tweeted.

The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf government had claimed in its manifesto to abolish the circular debt, but during its tenure the circular debt increased by Rs1, 328 billion, she had said adding that they had increased the circular debts by 116 per cent.