Pakistan Awami Tehreek has asked the government to withdraw hike in the prices of POL products, saying that this ‘Eidi gift’ has added to woes of already inflation-stricken people. The so-called democratic government has given a tremendous fillip to price hike in the country since the day it came into power, which is evident from the recurring raise in power tariff and price hike in POL products. If this practice of ‘managing’ economy continues, the people would be crushed economically.

Dr Raheeq Abbasi, President of Pakistan Awami Tehreek, expressed these views while talking to office holders of the Lahore chapter of MQI in the party’s central secretariat in Lahore today.

Dr Abbasi said that the first budget of the government set the tone for what lay in store for the people when the government increased GST to 17 per cent. He said that instead of broadening the tax base and taxing those out of wealth tax, it resorted to familiar mode of generating resources by taxing the already taxed.

PAT President demanded of the government to withdraw hike in prices of POL products and take measures aimed at making things easier for the people. He said that going by the ‘performance’ of the government in two months, it becomes sufficiently clear that it does not have a programme to give relief to masses.