Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has termed the receiving of Rs 1,000 billion as petroleum and gas taxation a robbery, saying that the government has been looting the nation with both hands.

While meeting the delegation of Insaf Tiger Force (ITF), under the leadership of Waseem Chaudhry on Sunday, Sarwar said increase in electricity prices in the name of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was tantamount to oppression and injustice with the public. The testimony of inflation escalation in the monetary policy of State Bank was manifestation of Shahbaz Sharif’s bad governance, he said, adding that Rs 149 billion petroleum levy, Rs 582 billion indirect taxation, Rs 58 billion royalty, and Rs 80 billion in the name of gas infrastructure development were prime examples of the government’s enmity with the poor people of Pakistan.

He said the rulers articulated fake hopes and promises during the general elections in 2013. However, he added, the State Bank of Pakistan’s testimonial of the increase in inflation gradient was the biggest proof against the rulers’ corruption.

He said raw oil prices have been decreasing in the world but increasing in Pakistan, much to agony of the poor people who were already suffering at the hands of load shedding and expensive costs of raw material, which consequently impacted the country’s exports.

“People have nowhere to air their grievances against the injustices of the government,” he lamented.

The PTI leader said the government received Rs 219 billions in terms of gas surcharge but the State Bank has issued a statement regarding the gap in imports and exports and inflation as one of the biggest problems faced by the nation. The government was unwilling to take any action for public ease, he concluded.