By Iftikhar Mashwani
Daily Fuel Price Hikes Intensify Public Anger, Put Sharif Government Under Fire.
“Only someone with a heart of stone can increase petrol prices,” Hamza Shehbaz once declared.
The question now is: how will Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif respond to that statement today?
Pakistanis are facing repeated “petrol bombs,” with fuel prices increased on two consecutive days—an extraordinary move that has intensified concerns over the government’s pricing policy and its impact on already struggling households.
According to a notification issued on September 7, petrol was raised by Rs12.90 per litre, from Rs345.87 to Rs358.77. High-speed diesel increased by Rs3.72, climbing from Rs378.05 to Rs381.77 per litre.
The public received another shock the very next day. Under a new notification issued on September 8, petrol was increased by a further Rs5.58 to Rs364.35 per litre, while diesel rose by another Rs4.18 to Rs385.95 per litre.
In just two consecutive revisions, petrol became Rs18.48 per litre more expensive, while diesel increased by Rs7.90 per litre.
Two days, two fuel price hikes—and an enormous additional burden on the public.
These are not merely increases in the price of fuel; they risk triggering another inflationary chain reaction across the economy.
Higher petrol and diesel prices raise transportation costs and affect food, essential commodities, electricity generation, agriculture, industry and almost every aspect of daily life. Ultimately, ordinary citizens are forced to bear the burden.
The apparent absence of meaningful accountability has further deepened public frustration. It is also regrettable that the courts have so far been unable to provide the effective relief people expect against repeated increases in petroleum prices.
Those who once described raising petrol prices as an act requiring a “heart of stone” must now answer a simple but important question:
What is that heart made of today?
Will the government provide relief from this relentless inflationary pressure, or will Pakistanis continue to face another “petrol bomb” every few days?
