Muzammil Aslam says country witnessing 'economic curfew'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Muzammil Aslam has criticised the government over hike in petrol prices, saying that the country was currently witnessing an ‘economic curfew’, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Muzammil Aslam, while talking to ARY News ‘Bakhabar Savera’ program, slammed the ruling coalition over the hike in petrol prices, saying that the prices of petroleum products were decreasing in the international market.

“The government has also increased the margin of petroleum dealers,” the PTI leader noted, adding that the incumbent regime has failed to provide relief to the masses.

He further said that petrol prices should be reduced when the US Dollar was constantly depreciating against the Pakistani Rupee.

Muzammil Aslam added that the country was witnessing an ‘economic curfew’ as the people were not able to operate their businesses amid rising inflation. “The price of food has also decreased in the international market,” he added.

The PTI leader also criticised the government’s move to cancel ARY News NOC, saying that the transmission was still not restored despite Court’s orders.

A day earlier, the federal government announced a hike of Rs6.72 per litre in the price of petrol for the remaining days of August 2022.

According to a notification issued by the Finance Division, petrol will now be priced at Rs233.91 after the latest hike, followed by high speed diesel at Rs244..44, kerosene oil at Rs199.40 and light diesel at Rs191.75.

The price of diesel saw a decrease of Rs0.51 while the per litre rate of light diesel jacked up by Rs0.43 per litre. The price of kerosene oil decreased up to Rs1.67 per litre, the notification read.