Condemning the sharp and unusual increase in petroleum prices and power tariff, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s members of National Assembly, Asif Hasnain and Muzammil Quraishi, termed it an `economic murder’ of poor people.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the MQM legislators said that the unprecedented increase in power tariffs and petroleum prices was not less than a bomb blast as the poor people of the country who were already facing immense difficulties in the wake of sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities would be further financially burdened.
They said that prices of all of daily use items would go up with the increase in petroleum prices whereas factories and industries would face imminent closure in the wake of sharp increase in power tariffs, thereby creating more unemployment in the country.
Describing the increase in petroleum prices and power tariffs `as double-edged sword’, the Muttahida MNAs said that the people of the country, who were already leading their life below the poverty line, would be the worst sufferers in the wake of unusual price hike and it would amount to snatching their right of their lives.
They deplored that the government had increased the petroleum prices and power tariff, instead of providing relief to the poor people of the country who are compelled to sell their children or commit suicide.
Urging the government to review its policies and immediately withdraw its decision of increasing the petroleum prices and power tariff, the MQM legislators said that government’s ill-timed decision had created a crisis an economic crisis in the country which was already under the grip of terrorism, economic, unemployment, health, education and energy crises.
Declaring that the citizens of the country would not accept such harsh decisions in the name of democracy, Mr Hasnain and Mr Quraishi said that the MQM which had already rejected the unusual increase in petroleum prices and power tariffs would use its democratic right to protest against the issue, besides raising it on all forums.
At the outset, they told that the MQM had already submitted an adjournment motion against the hike in petroleum prices and power tariffs in the National issue and matter would be discussed in the Assembly’s next session.
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