Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, along with the secretary of petroleum and commissioner, has been summoned by a Gujranwala court in response to a petition filed against the recent fuel price hike announced by the interim government. The petitioner, Advocate Manzoor Qadir, is seeking a “stay order” against the government’s decision to increase fuel prices to record levels.
During the hearing on Tuesday, Judge Mohammad Awais issued a summons for PM Kakar and the other officials to appear before the court on September 20. The petition refers to the caretaker prime minister and other officials as the “concerned parties.”
The caretaker government recently raised the prices of petrol and diesel significantly in its fortnightly review. This decision was attributed to the increase in oil prices in the international market. The price of petrol rose by Rs26.02 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) increased by Rs17.34 per litre. As a result, the price for one litre of petrol now stands at Rs331.38, and the HSD price is Rs329.18.
This is the second fuel price increase within a month, taking the prices to a historic high. The Finance Division had justified the previous price hike on September 1, citing the “increasing trend of petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variations.” At that time, petrol prices rose by Rs14.91 per litre, and HSD prices increased by Rs18.44 per litre.
An industry official commented that while the appreciation of the rupee may positively impact petroleum prices, it is not sufficient to offset the effects of rising global oil prices.
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