ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz has said that Pakistan is still selling fuel at a relatively lower price than other regional countries.
In a tweet on Saturday, Shibli Faraz while talking about the hike in petroleum price across the country stated that the decision was taken in view of the rising oil prices trend in the global market.
کروناوباءنے دنیا بھر کی معیشتوں کو متاثر کیا۔بین الاقوامی سطح پر پٹرولیم مصنوعات کی قیمتوں میں ایسااضافہ نہیں دیکھا۔اسی وجہ سے قیمتوں میں نظرثانی کرنا پڑی۔تاہم خطے کے دیگر ممالک کی نسبت پاکستان میں کم اضافہ ہوا۔عوام کی فلاح پہلی ترجیح ہے،انہیں ریلیف دینے کی کوشش کرتے رہیں گے۔
— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) June 27, 2020
“Coronavirus pandemic has affected economies around the world. Internationally, we have not seen such a massive increase in the prices of petroleum products. The decision to revise the prices of petroleum products upwards in Pakistan was taken in view of the rising oil prices trend in the global market,” he wrote.
According to the federal minister, the welfare of the people is the government’s first priority. “We will keep trying to provide them relief,” he added.
His tweets came after the federal government’s move of raising prices of petroleum products by Rs. 25. The new price of petrol is Rs100.10 per litre.
The Ministry of Petroleum has sent a recommendation to the government to increase the prices. The government also increased the price of high-speed diesel by Rs 21.31.
The prime minister’s aide on political communication Shahbaz Gill has defended the increase, saying that the rates were still the lowest when compared to neighbouring countries.
In a statement of Twitter, Gill said that the prices, in terms of Pakistani rupees, stood at Rs180 in India, Rs137 in China, and Rs174 in Bangladesh.
Energy minister Omar Ayub Khan aslo followed suit and said that prices in Pakistan “are still the lowest in the sub continent by a wide margin”.
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