ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan leader Dr. Farooq Sattar has strongly criticized the government’s decision to increase petroleum prices without consulting stakeholders, calling it an “atom bomb of inflation.”
Speaking to the media outside Parliament House in Islamabad, Dr. Sattar expressed his deep concern over the sudden price hike, stating that the international market had not seen any significant increase, yet the government raised prices in Pakistan.
Dr. Sattar emphasized that inflation had already burdened the public, and this price hike would only worsen the situation, pushing people further into poverty. He warned that the price increase could lead to a rise in suicide rates and criminal activities as people struggle to cope with mounting financial pressures.
He added that had there been an increase in international prices, a consensus would have been necessary. He suggested that the government, after coming to power, could have raised the petroleum levy instead.
Dr. Sattar pointed out that after Eid, the situation would remain dire, with the common people facing even more difficulties. He called on the government to avoid burdening the public and instead focus on the elite, urging political leaders to campaign for the next elections in a more modest and simple manner.
