Hike in POL, electricity tariff: PIAF appeals Prime Minister to reject proposal

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has appealed to the Prime Minister to reject the proposal for hike in price of petroleum products and electricity tariff, as it would prove a big blow to already in-shambles economy.
The PIAF office bearers including Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh, Vice Chairmen Iqbal Baig Chughtai and Shahzeb Akram in their joint statement said that the entire industry in Punjab and industrial workers were in bad shape due to gas suspension.
They said that most of the industries are completing their export orders through reliance on petroleum products and a further hike in petroleum prices is bound to push the crisis-hit industrial sector to the wall. How the Pakistani merchandise could retain their share in the international market when prices would be higher than the same quality goods of other countries, they added.
The office-bearers said that the power price registered an upward trend during the ended year. They said that due to this single reason, Pakistani merchandise failed to get due appreciation at the international market and the neighbouring countries made huge gains as the rate of electricity for the industry in Bangladesh was 9.5 cents, in India it was 9 cents against a rate of 13 cents in Pakistan.