People in different cities protested the Rs84 hike in petrol prices by the government during the last 18 days on Thursday. In Lahore, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) organised a protest rally against the unprecedented hike in petrol prices. JI leader Ahmed Salman Baloch participated in the rally. During the protest, a symbolic demonstration was staged in which people with their hands and feet tied were thrown before the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The protesters also chanted slogans against the increase in petrol prices. They also flayed the federal ministers for advising people to take less tea and use less petrol.“This is not respect to vote; this is respect to petrol,” said JI leader Ahmed Salman Baloch, criticising PML-N’s famous respect to vote slogan.“When the petrol prices go high, people hurriedly stand in long queues to get tanks of their vehicles filled with fuel instead of raising voice against the hike,” he added.

“I want to tell the people that life will not go on like this now, for this is not a solution to the problem. The solution to all the problems is Jamaat-e-Islami,” he claimed. “Whether it is New Pakistan or Old Pakistan, every government has thrown the people with their hands and feet tied before the IMF,” he said. Meanwhile in Multan, people flayed the hike in petrol prices, stating that the hike would bring a tsunami of inflation in its consequences. It is to be noted here that the government has again raised the price of petrol by Rs24.3 to Rs233.89 per litre—third time in the last 18 days. Earlier, the government had twice increased the petrol price each time by Rs30 per litre. Moreover, the government has also increased the price of diesel by Rs59 to Rs263.31 per litre. 

Credit:
Independent News Pakistan-INP