A miscellaneous application was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday against Rs22 per liter cut in the prices of petroleum products announced by the federal government.
Filed by Muhammad Azhar Siddique on behalf of the Judicial Activism Panel, it was stated in the petition that already a miscellaneous application was sub judice against an increase in levy on petroleum products.
The petitioner further stated that while on one hand, the government had reduced prices, on the other hand, it had increased levy on diesel.
Only recently, Siddique added, the government had announced Rs10.93 per liter hike in petroleum development levy on High Speed Diesel (HSD).
He opined that slashing levy on petrol and increasing on diesel was an economic exploitation of the masses. “The benefits of cut in petroleum products’ prices in international market have not been passed on to consumers in Pakistan,” read the petition.
The petitioner prayed to the court to order the government to immediately reduce petroleum development levy on petrol and diesel, and that a transparent procedure be devised to determine the petroleum products’ prices.
He also prayed to the court to bar the government from announcing any further increase in the prices until the petition was not decided.
