Petrol price hike sends Twitter into frenzy

The federal government on Wednesday jacked up the petrol price to a historic high, dropping another "bomb" on the inflation-hit nation in a bid to convince the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock the critical loan tranche.

The latest petrol price — which now stands at Rs272 per litre after an increase of Rs22.20 — sent Twitter into a frenzy as the netizens reacted to the development, lashing out at the government.

The hike drew strong criticism from notables and celebrities alike. 

Thousands of tweets — mostly in criticism of the government's steps — have been pouring on the microblogging site since the hike in prices of petroleum products.

Have a look at the reactions: 

Former energy minister Hammad Azhar censured the incumbent government saying that the POL prices had spiked due to the "extraordinary" depreciation of the local currency in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led setup. 

In his tweet, the former minister also compared the POL prices during PTI's government with the current rates. 

'Pakistanis will fill fuel tanks if price soars to Rs500/ltr'

Meanwhile, Pakistani singer and actor Farhan Saeed said that people would fill their fuel tanks even if the price soared to Rs500 per litre.

"The nations that don't stand up for themselves, deserve this and worse," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Pakistani actor Samina Peerzada asked the government to "stop and let the motherland live and flourish". 

'No leadership, no vision'

Another Twitter user wrote that the country has "leadership [and] no vision".

Social media influencer-turned-actor Arslan Naseer wondered if the aim of the government was to end poverty or to get rid of the poor from the country. 

'Wait for another bomb'

'Thankyou PDM'

'PDM's incompetence' 

Meanwhile, a Twitter user shared a video showing a snatching incident at a petrol pump with the caption: "This is what going to happen now."

Another user recalled a tweet by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who criticised the PTI-led government for a "never-ending hike" in petrol prices.

'Donkeys to the rescue'

One user compared the old and new petrol prices, criticising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with their famous Punjabi slogan "Mian jadon awaay ga te lag pata jaway ga" which translates to "[you] will realise when Mian comes [into power]".