ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has rejected the summary for increase in prices of petroleum products for the next fortnight. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed the development on Thursday, saying incompetence and serious mistake of the last government should not make the people suffer. She said the last government of former prime minister Imran Khan had acceded to harsh conditions of the IMF of increasing prices of the petroleum products to secure loan from the IMF.
The minister said the government is making every possible effort not to put any further burden on the people, already facing the brunt of high inflation. Following the rumours of an increase in prices of petroleum products, there were reports of a shortage of oil in different parts of the country. The previous prime minister had frozen oil prices till the budget amid political turmoil.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had moved a summary to increase the price of diesel over Rs51 per litre to do away with price differential claims from April 16. However, Prime Minister Sharif had refused to increase prices and turned down the summary.
Faced with panic buying and acute criticism over the supposed shortage of diesel, the All Petroleum Dealers Association warned of shutting down the petrol pumps across the country over unwarranted public wrath.
Speaking at a news conference, the association’s information secretary Nauman Ali Butt claimed that international and local companies are involved in the diesel crisis, regretting that people are unfair in casting suspicions over the petrol dealers.
He said that there is a scarcity of diesel in major districts of Punjab and informed that the association was trying to talk to Ogra about the issue.
