Petrol prices have reached historic highs, a move described as an act of injustice that will drown ordinary Pakistanis in a wave of inflation. Speaking from Rawalpindi, President of the Progressive Welfare Organization Muhammad Aamir Siddiqui said the sharp rise in petrol prices compounds existing hardships and risks pushing more households into poverty.
Siddiqui warned that petrol price shocks coming after steep increases in electricity, gas, LPG and essential food items would further strain family budgets. He said rulers may need to take difficult decisions but must avoid shifting the burden onto workers and low-income earners, noting that the nation is already battling poverty and rising costs.
Highlighting the widening gap between the elite and the poor, Siddiqui criticised a system where salaried officials receive generous allowances while those earning tens of thousands or day wages shoulder the cost of utilities and fuel. He asked why sacrifices always fall on the poor and demanded that the government reclaim excessive perks and privileges from the bureaucracy to create a fairer system.
On immediate relief measures, Siddiqui urged the government to announce targeted and direct assistance for vulnerable groups, especially motorbike users and daily wage labourers, so they can feed their families and continue contributing to national productivity. He argued that a focused relief package would be more effective than broad subsidies that often benefit the well-off.
Looking beyond relief, Siddiqui called for a shift towards austerity, simplicity and self-reliance instead of continued dependence on loans. He emphasised that promoting exports over imports would help stabilise the economy and support sustainable growth.
Concluding his remarks, Siddiqui reiterated that the relentless rise in petrol prices represents a grave injustice and urged swift government action to protect the most vulnerable while reforming privileges that undermine social equity.
