Islamabad (Pakistan Khabar): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again rejected a proposed major increase in petroleum product prices, announcing that prices will remain at their current levels. In his address, he made it clear that the government has taken this important decision to shield the public from further economic pressure.
He stated that for the coming week, a recommendation had been made to increase petrol prices by 95 rupees per litre and diesel by 203 rupees per litre. However, keeping in view the difficulties faced by the public, these proposals were rejected and the financial burden will be borne by the government itself.
According to the Prime Minister, this decision will place an additional burden of 56 billion rupees on the national exchequer, which the government will absorb to provide relief to the people. He said that based on international market trends, petrol prices could have reached 544 rupees per litre and diesel up to 790 rupees per litre, but the government is supplying petrol at 322 rupees and diesel at 335 rupees per litre as a relief measure.
Shehbaz Sharif further stated that over the past three weeks, the government has already borne a burden of 125 billion rupees to protect the public from the effects of inflation. According to him, this substantial amount could have been spent on other development projects, but the economic well-being of the people remains the government's top priority.
He appealed to the nation to adopt simplicity and austerity in these challenging times, adding that the government is preparing a comprehensive plan in this regard, for which public cooperation will be essential.
The Prime Minister also said that Pakistan is playing an active role in promoting peace in the region and diplomatic efforts are ongoing on various fronts. He noted that the world is currently facing severe economic and political challenges, and even major economies are under pressure; however, Pakistan continues its efforts to improve the situation.
