ISLAMABAD: The ruling coalition’s allies, who once spearheaded mass protests and ultimately helped oust Imran Khan’s government over inflation, have now confined themselves to formal statements of disapproval after the Shehbaz Sharif-led administration raised petrol prices by Rs.55 per litre — a contrast critics say exposes their dual standards on the issue.
The PMLN government came under sharp criticism from both allies and opposition parties after announcing a steep Rs.55 per litre increase in petroleum prices, a move that has triggered fresh political fault lines within the ruling coalition.
Most of the coalition partners now voicing concern were the same parties that had staged protest demonstrations against the Imran Khan-led government when petrol prices were fixed at Rs.150 per litre, denouncing inflation and accusing the regime of burdening the poor.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key ally of the ruling PML-N and once at the forefront of anti-inflation protests against the former regime, openly rebuked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the hike. PPP leaders said the matter would be taken up in parliament. Former premier and PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, in a statement, remarked: “I wonder who gave anti-people advice to the prime minister to increase the price of petroleum products by Rs.55 per litre during Ramazan and before Eid.”
Another government ally, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which had parted ways with Khan’s regime and supported the vote of no confidence in April 2022, also demanded an immediate review of the decision. MQM-P lawmakers warned that rising fuel costs would further accelerate inflation and make it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to manage household expenses.
Similarly, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which had spearheaded an intense campaign to oust Khan’s government and staged a dharna (sit-in) in Islamabad, termed the hike “unacceptable.” JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said: *“The poor people of Pakistan cannot tolerate the immense hike in fuel prices. Countries where war is ongoing have not increased petrol prices to this extent.”*
The chorus of criticism from coalition partners underscores growing unease within the ruling alliance, with parties that once rallied against inflation now pressing the government to reconsider its decision amid mounting public discontent.
