Plot to trigger civil war seen behind massive oil price hike

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Saturday slammed the caretaker government for the “heartless and cruel increase” in the prices of petrol and diesel, fearing that the move seemed a well-thought-out plot to trigger a civil war in the country.

In his reaction to the latest increase in oil prices, PTI Spokesman Raoof Hassan noted that people had already lost their purchasing power due to ballooning inflation. He strongly condemned what he called the record-smashing hike and rejected it outright.

He contended that the record-breaking rise in petrol and diesel prices was a cruel blow to the poverty-stricken masses, who were already reeling under soaring prices of all essential commodities. He urged the caretaker government to shun the callous approach to punish the inflation-ridden people for their own follies, flawed and failed economic policies.

The spokesman expressed his apprehension that after the people lost the purchasing power due to the red-hot inflation and rampant unemployment, the current record-breaking increase in fuel prices seems part of well-conceived scheme to trigger a civil war in the country because it seems no longer possible to stop the public reaction against the rising inflation.

He lamented, “The caretaker government is an extension and continuation of PDM’s government in all respects. There were expectations that (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar would choose a better path to ease the public’s woes but it did not happen.”

The PTI spokesman demanded that the increase in petroleum product prices should be withdrawn instantly and the government should stop the series of extortion forthwith.

He underlined that the caretaker government should hold elections without any delay and transfer the power to elected government instead of creating chaos and mayhem in the country.