What can be described as the direct consequence of hike in petroleum products’ (POL) prices, which are now all-time high, transporters in the country have increased their fares while the prices of ghee, cooking oil and other food items have also gone up, and are likely to go further up, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
A day ago, (Wednesday, February 16, 2022), 24News reported that the Karachi Goods Transporters’ Association had rejected the increase in POL prices announced by the government a day earlier on Tuesday (February 15), saying that there would be an increase between Rs10, 000 and Rs12,000 in their one-way fare in the wake of this development.
Association President Rana Muhammad Aslam demanded the government to withdraw the notification issued in this regard. “It is unfortunate that even the levy has been added to the total rates of these products, making them even more expensive. All this is being done on the dictates of the IMF,” he regretted.
He said at a time when rising inflation had already dented people’s businesses, it was difficult to imagine how people would bear higher transportation costs.
Similarly, consumers are not least affected by such decisions of the government as due to increase in petrol and diesel prices, transportation costs get automatically increased, which ultimately lead to an increase in the prices of food items.
Following grade-II cooking oil whose price has risen by Rs6 per liter after recent increase in POL prices, the rate of grade-I cooking oil has also gone up by Rs20 per liter, taking its total cost to Rs440 per liter.
People, who are in pain over increase in the prices of cooking oil, have said that now the government wants to eat grass rather than bread.
Meanwhile, saying a big ‘No’ to a massive hike in POL prices, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) plans to hold countrywide protest demonstrations today (Thursday) and tomorrow.
Spokesman for the JI has said that at no cost the recent increase made by the government would be accepted. “The hike announced by the government two days ago has broken all its previous records,” he said, and added if the government did not stop pursuing anti-masses policies, the party would leave no stone unturned in sending it home.
Reporter: Shahzad Khan Abdali