Sherry opposes massive gas price hike for the poor

Abdullah Jan

Islamabad: Senator Sherry Rehman, Vice President Pakistan Peoples Party, on Tuesday expressed deep concern regarding the substantial increase in gas prices, stating, “Given the current level of inflation in the country, the caretaker government should not have burdened the people with unprecedented gas price hike ahead of winter.”

Sherry said, “The fixed charges have surged from Rs10 to Rs400, marking a whopping 3900% increase per month for protected consumer slabs falling within the 0.25hm3 to 0.9hm3 bracket. Furthermore, gas prices for domestic consumers have also witnessed a sharp increase of 172%.”

She went on to say, “The caretaker minister has already announced 16 hours of gas load shedding during the winter for domestic consumers. With consumers already facing limited gas access ahead of peak winter season, the rationale behind such a significant price hike is questionable. It would be more appropriate for such decisions to be deferred to the elected government.”

“Following the reduction in petrol prices, one would have expected a noticeable decrease in inflation, but this has yet to be observed. The caretaker government should refrain from exacerbating the people’s problems,” she concluded.