Opposition blasts govt over 'petrol bomb', protests in Senate, NA

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leaders on Friday blasted the PTI government for jacking up the prices of petrol and diesel for the second time in less than a month.

PML-N president and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif termed the fuel price hike “another petrol bomb exploded on the masses in the dead of night”.

“This is IK’s [Prime Minister Imran Khan] way of providing “relief” after giving a long sermon yesterday. Unfortunately, everyday dawns with horrible news for the people,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Yet another petrol bomb exploded on the masses in the dead of night. This is IK’s way of providing “relief” after giving a long sermon yesterday. Unfortunately, everyday dawns with horrible news for the people. This incompetent/corrupt PTI govt & Pakistan can’t go together!

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 5, 2021

PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman slammed the prime minister wondering if he was giving the public relief by hiking fuel prices. “The prime minister was not giving relief but, in fact, he was asking for it,” she said.

Also Read: Govt hikes petrol, diesel prices by over Rs8 per litre

She lamented that everything would get costlier with the hike in petroleum prices as weekly inflation index has already shot up to 14.31%. The senator demanded that the government withdraw the recent hike.

وزیراعظم پیٹرول کی قیمتیں بڑھا کر کہتے ہیں عوام کو رلیف دے رہے ہیں۔ وزیراعظم ریلیف دے نہیں، مانگ رہے تھے۔ پیٹرول کی قیمتوں میں اضافے سے ہر چیز مہنگی ہو گی، پہلے ہفتہ وار مہنگائی کی شرح 14.31 فیصد ہو چکی ہے۔ حکومت عوام پر رحم کرے اور تیل کی قیمتیں واپس لے۔ 2/2

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) November 5, 2021

Separately, opposition lawmakers staged protest against the increase in fuel prices in the Senate and the National Assembly. Chanting slogans against the ruling PTI, they walked out of both houses.

After the walk-out by the opposition members, the sessions of the upper and lower houses of Parliament were adjourned until Monday due to a lack of quorum.