Islamabad, April 25 (IANS) The Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the recent increase in petroleum product prices in the country, terming it as an “economic suicide attack” on the public.

The remarks came after the Pakistani government announced an increase of Pakistani Rs 26.77 in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs 26.77 for the next week. The revised rates took effect from Saturday, according to a notification from the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division).

Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said that oil prices had surged once again amid regional tensions.

“Due to the mounting pressure from rising oil prices and agreements with global partners, the government is compelled to pass on the burden of price hikes to the public,” Pakistani daily Business Recorder quoted him as saying.

Expressing grave concern over the move, the HRC of Pakistan said that the repeated hikes in petrol prices are not merely a “numerical change” but “an invitation to the storm of inflation that has already broken the back of the common man”.

“To live a dignified life is a fundamental human right of every citizen. The potential increase in the prices of transport, medicines, and essentials is tantamount to pushing the poor and middle classes below the poverty line,” the council stated.

The rights body stressed that the primary duty of the authorities is to ensure public welfare and well-being, not to “crush the people under an unbearable burden”.

The HRC called on the Pakistani government to immediately review this “oppressive decision” and take emergency measures to provide direct relief to the public.

“The government should listen to the cries of the public and formulate economic policies that are pro-poor, not anti-public. We demand that privileges for the elite be reduced so that the common citizen gets a chance to breathe,” the Council quoted its chairperson as saying.

Earlier this month, the Pakistani government announced a sharp increase in fuel prices, with petrol rising by 43 per cent and high-speed diesel by 55 per cent.

–IANS

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