Daily Times

LAHORE: Taking serious notice of the failure of Punjab government to control inflation, especially the high but ‘artificial’ price hike of tomatoes, onions, potatoes and other necessary kitchen items, in the province as well as recent increase in the prices of petroleum products by the federal government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the provincial opposition has condemned the same and demanded immediate steps to rectify the situation.

Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed also filed a resolution in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat in this regard on Monday, predicting that inflation would heavily enhance after such an increase in petrol prices in the province.

In the resolution, it was stated that the Nawaz League’s government had failed to give relief to the poor masses and inflation was on its peak, as the tariff of electricity as well as prices of tomatoes and other vegetables had already been increased and people were facing a wave of serious inflation in the province. The opposition leader claimed in his resolution that due to recent increase in prices of petroleum products in the country, the poor people would have to face a new storm of inflation and problems of small farmers and tenants would be enhanced, while the agri-economy would also be damaged by this decision of increase in POL prices.

He further stated in his resolution that it was unfair with the people of Pakistan to put all the burden of international price hike in petroleum products on the shoulders of the poor masses, who were already facing high inflation in the country due to failure of the Nawaz League’s government.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly strongly condemning the recent increase in prices urged the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz not to snatch the people’s right to live by increasing prices of petrol products and letting the prices of tomatoes and other vegetables go uncontrolled in the province.

Separately, treasury member Hina Pervez Butt on Monday also filed a resolution in which she condemned the brutal oppression of Indian forces in Held Kashmir and firing on the main procession of Kashmiri Shia community on Ashura. In the resolution, Hina criticised the Indian Army for opening fire on participants of the Ashura procession and arresting Kashmiri leaders and youths. She demanded the Indian-held Kashmir’s government of Mehbooba Mufti to resign as chief minister over the incident, as she had failed to give protection to her citizens (Kashmiris).

Published in Daily Times, October 3^rd 2017.