Opposition parties stage walk-out in NA against petroleum price hike

ISLAMABAD: Beset by the recent increase in prices of petroleum products, three main opposition parties in the National Assembly including PML-N, PML-Q and MQM staged token walk-out on Tuesday.

The legislators belonging to opposition parties registered their protest over the move which they argued would further aggravate the already soared prices in the country.

They rejected the increase and demanded to withdraw the decision thus offering relief to the people, who were struggling with the brunts of inflation.

MQM's Haider Abbas Rizvi said his party, which in the past got the government reverse its decision on petroleum price-hike, did not favour the recent increase as well. He said increase in the prices of petroleum products would directly put burden on poor and middle classes.

PML-N's Chief Whip Aftab Sheikh urged the government to seriously re-cconsider the recent spike in petroleum prices, besides promoting good governance and strengthening institutions like PIA, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Steel Mills.

PML-Q's Sheikh Waqas Akram also endorsed the views of PML-N and MQM regarding increase in the prices of petroleum products and asked the government not to opt for such ventures.

He said prices of petroleum, one way or the other, affected prices of every commodity in every sector.