Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf has on Monday rejected the gas price-hike and announced to launch protests against the price increase and load shedding. While addressing a press conference, PTI leaders Justice Wajihuddin (Retd) and Ahsan Rasheed said the recent increase in the prices of petrol and gas will increase unemployment and poverty in the country and industries will shutdown.
They blamed the government for load shedding, which in their opinion is due to bad financial management. They also criticised the government for not availing the opportunity of buying gas from Iran on cheaper rate due to foreign pressures. The PTI leaders observed that the present government does not have the mandate and hence it will fall anytime in March/April.
They stated that the PTI is ready for the next general elections and added if the voters' list is not completed by March 23 (as ordered by the Supreme Court) they would take up the matter with the court. They accused the government of appointing 'its men' in the Election Commission and NADRA and these people are deliberately delaying the completion of voters' list. "Both the PPP and PML-N do not want inclusion of new voters in the existing voters' list," they added. On the occasion, they demanded for fresh elections under an interim government.