MULTAN,April 2nd:A fresh increase of seven percent in petroleum prices has drawn a sharp reaction from the masses, including the general public transporters, traders, formers as well as politicians, who rejected the increase and termed it anti-people.Pakistan Muslim League-N staged a demonstration under the leadership of Shaikh Muhammad Younas, PML-Q also staged a demonstration led by Babu Akram Ansari and Tariq Gujjar, PML-N (women wing) held a demo under the leadership of Provincial Vice President Qurban Fatima, Tariq Amir Abbasi, Pakistan Kisan Board Punjab agitated against the recent increase in POL prices led by Khurshid Kanju.They said that on one side sky rocketing price hike has made lives of laymen barbed, while on the other inattention of the government has drooped down the idea of providing relief to masses. Rather than giving people sigh of relief, democratic government is busy in rift with political rivals and its ministers doing nothing except making shallow slogans and empty claims of public service. A transporters' body, has hinted at launching a nationwide protest against the increase made by the government. Multan van, Mini Bus and Wagon Owners Association president , in a statement, said that OGRA in a span had raised petrol price by Rs 15 per litre and diesel price by Rs 10 per litre. He said that there was no precedence in the 62-year history of the country of recent record-breaking oil price hike. They warned that if this trend continued there would be no need for calling strikes as vehicles would automatically be forced to remain off-road. They said the transporters had earlier demanded that the OGRA be made to review oil prices once in a year or at the most twice a year, but the government did not consider their just demand.They warned that this time the transporters would not confine its protest just to Lahore, but try to widen its scope to the national level. He said that this would be the main agenda of their meeting to be held within next few days.The Private Bus Owners Association chairman, another body of transporters, has demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike, and said the transporters would decide about their future strategy in their meeting this week.


Meanwhile, the Traders Alliance of Multan, in separate statements, strongly criticised the recent POL price hike, and termed it a non-serious attitude of the government regarding safeguarding the interests of masses.Political leaders also denounced increase in petroleum prices and demanded immediate withdrawal of the increase.Demanding withdrawal of the increase in the petroleum prices, they said that within two months, OGRA on Wednesday made an increase of nearly 10 rupees per litre in the price of petrol and nearly 6 rupees per litre in the price of diesel. In a statement released by the JI, a spokesman of the party said that the price increase was a cruel joke with the people.