Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs Dr Shahbaz Gul has said that petrol price is being increased by Rs .71 per liter. The other day, he tweeted his message on Twitter and said that according to the data of July 26, the price of petrol in 27 countries of the world is lower than Pakistan and in 140 countries it is higher than Pakistan. According to him, the average price of petrol in the world is 19 1.19 per liter. He said that the prices of petroleum products in the world increased by 47% while in Pakistan it increased by 11%. Now, on the recommendation of OGRA, the price of petrol is being increased by 71 paisa per liter with effect from August 1. He said that increase in diesel prices affected the common man and farmers more so its rates were not increased. Now, after the increase in petrol price, it has been fixed at Rs 119.80 per liter.
On the other hand, the price of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) has also been increased by Rs 10 per kg, which was announced by Irfan Khokhar, Chairman, LPG Dealers Association. After this increase, the price of LPG has gone up to Rs. 180 per kg and the domestic cylinder has gone up to Rs. 2,110. Similarly, Lahore Atta Chakki Association has also agreed to increase the rates of threshing and cleaning of wheat by Rs. 100 per man. Thus, the cost of threshing a bushel of wheat alone has gone up to Rs. 500. It is pertinent to mention here that just 15 days ago, on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha on July 15, the prices of petroleum products were increased unbearably for the common man. At present, petrol price has been increased by Rs 5.40 per liter and diesel by Rs 2.54 per liter, while kerosene prices have been increased by Rs 1.39 per liter and LPG by Rs 5 per kg. Credit was given to the then Prime Minister Imran Khan for rejecting the summary of OGRA's petrol price hike of Rs 11.41 per liter to save the people from the high burden of inflation. Announcing the increase in petroleum prices, the PTI is crediting the government for the fact that prices of petroleum products in 140 countries are still higher than in Pakistan. If they could at the same time compare the per capita income of these countries and the facilities provided to their citizens by the state with that of Pakistan, then the plight of the people of this dear country, which is suffering from rising inflation and many other problems.
More troubling for the people is the fact that the PTI leadership has blamed the former rulers for the demise of the country's economy as a result of incompetence and corruption, being entangled in IMF loans and the people's poverty, inflation and unemployment. He had won the mandate of the federal and provincial government on the basis of loud claims and heartfelt slogans to rid the people of these problems by propagating that the problems of the people were getting worse and worse. There was no relief in the problems but as a result of the government's fiscal policies these problems became more serious and the people were practically buried alive. It is a fact that during the three years of the PTI government, the dollar has seen a surge in the value of the Pakistani currency and inflation has skyrocketed to seven heights, mainly due to electricity, gas and petroleum. The prices of products are increasing day by day while due to the weakness of government governance, various mafias have also resorted to setting artificial prices of flour, sugar, oil and medicines and setting arbitrary prices. And so on. Government-controlled utility stores also gradually rose in price and left no stone unturned in robbing the people with both hands. Fifteen days ago, the increase in the prices of petroleum products was justified in the global market. If our rates are determined according to the global market rates, then last year, even due to the Corona epidemic, the global petroleum prices had reached zero and negative, which would have made petrol available to our citizens free of cost. It should have, but falling petroleum prices in the global market do not affect our country's prices at all. Even now the price of crude oil in the world market is 73 73.95 per barrel which is much lower than the petroleum prices of two years ago but the petroleum prices in our country have been increasing gradually while now every fortnight the prices of petroleum products and LPG The increase has been made compulsory. This, in essence, gives the impression that the government is pursuing a policy of gradually increasing the burden of inflation on the people, not on the basis of world market petroleum prices, but in accordance with the terms and conditions dictated by the IMF.
Of course, the government is satisfied that the scattered opposition lined up against each other is not capable of launching an anti-government movement.
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