Citizens Action Committee Chairman Zaheer Ahmed Awan has voiced strong opposition to the significant increase in petroleum prices, warning that the decision will exacerbate inflation and worsen the hardships faced by already distressed citizens. He demanded an immediate rollback of the recent price hike and criticized the government’s failure to control rising prices, labeling the inflationary spiral as economic mismanagement and incompetence.
Speaking from the Public Complaints Cell located at Zafar-ul-Haq Road, Rawalpindi, Chairman Zaheer Ahmed Awan stated that soaring petrol and diesel prices create an immediate ripple effect across the entire economy, resulting in inflated costs for essential food items, daily-use commodities, and transportation fares. He noted that every upward adjustment in petroleum prices signals the market to artificially increase costs, impacting ordinary citizens the most.
“Citizens are already heavily burdened due to increased electricity and gas bills, along with relentless taxation measures imposed by authorities,” said Awan. “The recent petroleum price hike further compounds their difficulties, leaving common citizens helpless and compelled to purchase essential goods at exorbitant rates.”
He further criticized government authorities for ineffectively utilizing price-control magistrates and monitoring mechanisms. “Price-control magistrates mainly engage in paperwork and superficial procedures, but fail to effectively ensure compliance with the daily price lists issued officially. Practically, the masses receive no relief as the executed price checks remain confined to official documents without any actual implementation,” Awan explained.
Expressing concern over deteriorating economic conditions for the common citizen, he stressed that the poor now struggle to fulfill even basic needs like food, rent, utilities, and children’s education expenses. Rising costs mean basic household needs such as housing rent, electric, gas, and water bills, schooling fees, and food have become increasingly difficult to manage for most families.
Highlighting the discrepancy between the hardships of the citizens and the comforts enjoyed by the ruling classes, Chairman Awan noted, “While the authorities have conveniently raised their own salaries and secured numerous luxuries from the national treasury, the economic condition of the ordinary citizen continues to deteriorate drastically.”
Zaheer Ahmed Awan urged immediate governmental intervention to roll back petroleum prices, effectively control inflation, and bring practical relief mechanisms to mitigate the hardship faced by the average citizen.
