- PDM leadership to discuss inflation, petrol price hike and joint Parliament session in meeting.
- Govt plans to convene Parliament session on November 10.
- Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto and Shahbaz Sharif had discussed a joint strategy for anti-govt protests.
An emergency meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), convened on an urgent basis by the alliance’s president, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is underway to discuss a strategy ahead of the joint parliament session called by the government.
The government has summoned the session on November 10 with a view to pass 18 bills.
The bills are related to granting overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, e-voting and the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The PDM leadership, other than the joint parliament strategy, will also discuss the petrol price hike, inflation, recently promulgated National Accountability (Third Amendment) Ordinance 2021, the decisive long march against the government, and how to strengthen PDM’s country-wide protests.
PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif will brief the meeting on his talks with Opposition leaders.
The government increased the price of petrol by Rs8.03 per litre, a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned the nation that fuel prices would have to undergo an increase.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (MJAH) president Senator Prof Sajid Mir, and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai have joined the meeting via video link.
JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah, sharing the meeting’s agenda earlier, said the Opposition alliance will discuss its strategy for the joint session of the Parliament in the meeting.
Shahbaz, Bilawal discuss strategy against PTI
On Friday, Bilawal and Shahbaz discussed the government decision to hike petrol prices across the country.
Shahbaz called the PPP chairman to discuss the inflationary situation in the country and discussed a joint strategy against the government.
Bilawal criticised the prime minister, saying that he had offered a “lollipop” of relief to the masses before hiking petrol prices. With each passing day, the government is increasing the problems of people, he added.
He said those who increased the ghee price by 110% in three years, gave 30% relief to the masses. Electricity prices have increased by 60% in three years and today, Imran Khan is announcing a 30% relief package.
He said that the price of sugar has risen by 80% in three years, adding that Imran Khan’s relief package was not for the people but for a few families.
‘Petrol Price hike background’
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Finance, Muzzammil Aslam, had tweeted about the hike in petroleum prices, clarifying that the government was only collecting 1.43% under the sales tax head with the new prices in place.
He had stated that if the government collected the full 17% in sales tax, the price of petrol per litre would surge past Rs160 per litre.
“If an additional Rs30 petroleum levy was charged then the price of petrol would surge to Rs180 per litre. The government did not collect Rs35 per litre [to provide relief to the masses],” he had tweeted.