A petition challenging the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday. The federal government, Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (OGRA) have been made respondents in the plea. The petition states that the federal government increased the prices of petrol, diesel and other petroleum products for the month of January, despite decrease in its prices at the international market. It says the OGRA is collecting more than 17 percent sales tax on the sale of petroleum products. The petitioner, thus, has pleaded with the court to declare the recent increase in the fuel prices as illegal and unconstitutional and issue directives for the authorities concerned to reduce the prices. On Tuesday, the federal government had increased the price of petrol by up to Rs 2.61 per litre for the month of January 2020, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance. According to a notification, the price of petrol had been increased by Rs 2.61 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel has been increased by Rs 2.25. Similarly, the price of light diesel had been decreased by Rs 2.08 and that of kerosene by Rs 3.10 per litre.