“Authorities shouldn’t burden public,” CJP on POL price hike
- By Web Desk -
- Jul 05, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan on Thursday expressed his concern over yet another petrol price hike and said “public is already troubled, authorities should not burden them more with surging petrol prices.”
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was heading a three-member bench to hear the suo moto case against increased petroleum prices.
As the hearing went underway, the bench asked for the solid reasons responsible for the recent price hike. To which, attorney general informed the court that rupees’ depreciation and rising global crude oil prices are one of the major factors.
Why is custom duty and sales tax being levied on petroleum products? We want experts’ opinion on the [continuous price hikes],” the chief justice remarked.
The top judge has directed the government to prepare a review report on reducing petroleum prices and added “the price of POL products can be slashed even today, if all officials sit together.”
“It is failure of government that taxes are included in petroleum prices,” Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed while Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that swelling price of petroleum products results in inflation of every product.
The court has adjourned the hearing till Sunday, July 8.
Effective since July 1, the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene oil, light diesel and high-speed diesel have been jacked up by Rs7.54, Rs14.00, Rs3.36, Rs.5.92 and Rs6.55 respectively, bringing the new per-litre prices to Rs99.50, Rs119.31, Rs87.70, Rs80.91 and Rs105.31.