ISLAMABAD   -  The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday strongly rejected the “unbearable” escalation in prices of petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and said that it would further augment the miseries of the poverty-stricken and inflation-ridden masses.

A PTI spokesperson accused that the PDM government opened the floodgate of inflation, resulting in fuelling poverty, as well as hunger and taking the cost of living to beyond the manageable level before the end of its tenure.

He said that in the wake of the skyrocketing prices of electricity and gas, the increase in the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG would trigger a tsunami of inflation in the country.

The PTI spokesperson said that the cost of production would witness an extraordinary upsurge due to the recent massive increase in fuel prices, adding that the unbearable cost escalation would completely cripple the already paralysed economy.

He claimed that during PTI government petrol was available at Rs150 per litre but the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led federal government escalated its price by over 80 percent during the last 16 months.

He said that flour was available at 78 per kg in March 2022; however, its price witnessed an alarming increase and surged to 170 per kg in July 2023. Similarly, he said that in March 2022, sugar was available at Rs80 per kg, which was being sold at Rs170 per kg now. He added that ghee, which was available at Rs300 per kg in March 2022, witnessed two-fold increase in its price and rose to Rs650 in July 2023.

He went on to say, in March 2022, the electricity was available to the public at Rs14 per unit but its price was increased by three and a half times and now surged to Rs50 per unit.

Likewise, he said that in the last 16 months, the rupee depreciated alarmingly against the dollar and its value dropped from Rs179 to Rs287 against one dollar. He alleged that the government ruined the fast growing economy and made the rank and file the most.