![](https://nation.com.pk/print_images/large/2021-09-26/opposition-leader-demands-immediate-reversal-in-gas-electricity-tariff-hike-1632604186-8596.jpg)
ISLAMABAD – Opposition Leader in National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif Saturday strongly condemned the possible 35 percent increase in gas tariffs and demanded an immediate reversal of the step.
In a statement Shehbaz Sharif said that these tariff bombs were being dropped on the people because the government was fulfilling the conditions of the IMF budget which was the consequence of the most terrible deal with the IMF.
“The government shamelessly lied to the entire nation about presenting a budget without any fresh taxes. Every single word said by PMLN has turned out true about the budget and financial policies of the disastrous Imran government. PMLN had warned that there would be a tsunami of new taxes and inflation in the country after this fraud budget. The entire country has seen now what a farce that budget was”, he said.
The PMLN President said the unjustified increase in gas tariffs was a blunder and called on the Imran government to stop crushing the masses with one act of cruelty after the other. He said there was no capacity in the people to bear any more financial burden and with its vicious steps the PTI government was pushing the country towards a civil war.
He said that no amount of increase in tariffs would solve the financial problems of the country because the core reasons for the troubles economy were the Imran government’s corruption and incompetence.
This tariff hike in electricity and gas would only make life worse for the people. It would lead to an inflation chain reaction which would raise the price of Chapati. They raised the electricity tariffs by Rs 5 earlier this week and this gas tariff increase in addition to 141 percent earlier, would hammer in the last nail in the coffin, he said.
This government had caused the 9/11 of Pakistan’s Economy and now making Torabora of the nation with the unending inflation rate increase. This shows that this government did not even understand the ABC of economic policies. Imran should spare the nation and instead of committing mass murder of Pakistanis, should step down and go home. Why should the people pay the price for Imran’s incompetence, inabilities, and ignorance?
He said the government said tariffs hike would lost the debt of gas companies but the truth is that these companies were in more debt than any other time. It had been two years but these had companies had neither completed their audit, not had they made their accounts public, he stated.
Even the gas companies had been destroyed by Imran’s incompetence, he said. Pakistan today was providing the world’s most expensive LNG and had the highest electricity and gas tariffs in South East Asia, thanks to Imran Khan. Pakistan was now among the countries with the highest inflation rate with the lowest income, he pointed out.
Meanwhile PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that the officials were lying to the court as he was in no way linked to the Ramzan Sugar Mill.
While speaking in the court, Shehbaz said he had never been a share holder or a director of the Ramzan Sugar Mill. He added that he had told all these details while he was investigated in jail. Shehbaz said that he had already submitted answers to a questionnaire given to him by FIA which was a virtual photocopy of NAB’s case.
The PML-N leader went on to say that when he was the chief minister of Punjab he took steps that did not benefit sugar mills, and in doing so, caused financial losses to his family. He said he would soon release every detail of how his steps caused financial losses to his family rather than any benefit. The court extended Shehbaz’s bail till October 9th.