LAHORE - Blind following of International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies by the government, expenses on war on terror, and non-development expenses of various departments are the major contributors to the present inflation in the country. These views were expressed by the speakers during a seminar titled 'Hike in Petrol, Diesel and Kerosene Prices - What Political Parties Say held at the Hamid Nizami Hall on Friday under the aegis of daily Nawa-i-Waqt, The Nation and Waqt News Channel. PML-N President Lahore Mian Marghoob Ahmed, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Lahore Ameerul Azeem and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) President Lahore Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed were the key speakers. MNA Mian Marghoob attributed the raise in petroleum products to governments policy of bowing down before IMF dictates and the ongoing war on terror. He said the country would continue to suffer from price hike and other related issues as long as the US was present in Afghanistan and the government did not get rid of the IMF. He termed the recent surge in POL prices a 'drone attack on the poor. He was of the view that all political parties should lodge a strong protest over hike in petroleum prices. Ameer JI Lahore Ameerul Azeem said that the expenses on protocols of ministers and on the war against terrorism were the basic reasons behind high prices of petroleum products. He called for reduction in non-development expenses by the government and desired that politicians should follow the Western model in this regard. He asked the PML-N leadership to take lead by announcing substantial decrease in non-development heads of expenditure, as they are also the part of the government. He demanded instant end to the offensive against the militants, saying that Pakistan is receiving $ 4 million from its so-called Friends of Pakistan, while its war expenses were more than $ 8 million. He said the JI was also against the militants but had serious reservations over the way the government had handled this issue. He said there should be a public representative in Petroleum Regulatory Authority to watch peoples interest. President PTI Lahore Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed said the Government had committed contempt of court by increasing fuel prices, as the decision was in violation of the recommendations of a committee headed by Supreme Court Justice Rana Bhagwandas constituted by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. This body had desired reduction in petroleum prices, but contrary to its recommendations, the government had increased prices further. He said this increase would adversely affect the current sowing season in the country given the fact that there was no water in canals, and the farmers were totally dependent on diesel to get water from tubewells. He added that it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that diesel prices have surpassed those of petrol.