The lawmakers left their cars behind and travelled to the assembly on carts, arguing that fuel had become too costly for many Pakistanis and calling on the government to reverse the price hike. A line of donkey carts carrying Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders arrived outside the Sindh Assembly on Friday as the party turned Pakistan’s high petrol prices into a street protest.
From September 19, petrol was reduced by Rs 1.65 to Rs 389.14 per litre. High-speed diesel was cut by 88 paisa to Rs 424.04 per litre. A fresh price revision was announced after the protest brought limited relief. Islamabad has introduced a separate relief programme for people using motorcycles, rickshaws, light motorcycle/moped and small cars.
The price included Rs 114 per litre in government taxes and duties on petrol. The corresponding amount on high-speed diesel was Rs 100 per litre.
Soomro described the increase as a “petrol bomb” on the public and said members of the government should try reaching the assembly the same way. “Petrol has become so expensive that we cannot even come to the assembly in our vehicles,” he said. The protest was led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Sajjad Ali Soomro. He and other party members travelled from nearby areas towards the main entrance of the Sindh Assembly while displaying placards and chanting against the federal government. Putting the scheme into practice has proved difficult. Some petrol pumps did not provide the discount through the government’s digital system, saying they lacked the required setup.
