ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Water Resources, Faisal Vawda, said the government had to pay $37 billion in loans and blamed the former government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for pushing Pakistan into debt, ARY News reported on Monday.
Vawda, speaking in the ARY News programme, said the government had to return $1700 million this year in loans.
The minister said prices of the petroleum products shot up worldwide, “The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority suggested the government to increase petrol rate by Rs 12, but we just raised Rs 6.”
Read: New petrol price challenged in Lahore High Court
He stated increasing petrol rate was compulsion of the government. “An operation for cancer is underway…the life will become easy after it,” the minister explained.
Vawda said tough decisions were needed to be taken to improve the current situation.
He also said the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf stood by Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Our leader can never ask us to indulge in something wrong,” he added.
Earlier in the day, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court challenging the government notification increasing price of petrol by Rs 6.
Prices of petrol and high speed diesel have been increased by Rs6 a litre, each. While, the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel were hiked by Rs3 a litre each by the government on Sunday (March 31).
The petitioner pleaded in his application that the current government was following the footsteps of their predecessors and the hike in petrol would increasingly affect the masses.
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