Editorial : A terrible decision at a terrible time
At a time when the inflated prices of essential goods, particularly food items, are making lives miserable for the masses, not to forget the flood survivors who are facing starvation, the government had the heart (or lack of it) to increase fuel prices. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority has increased the prices of high-speed diesel by Rs 1.57 per litre to Rs 74.60, light-diesel oil by Rs 1.35 to Rs 62.67 and kerosene by Rs 0.72 per litre to Rs 65.57. To fool the masses, the price of motor spirit (petrol) has been reduced by Rs 0.48 per liter to Rs 67.26 and HOBC by Rs 0.49 per litre to Rs 79.85.
Is there anything like the fear of God left among these people? Everyone knows that the prices of commodities depend on the price of diesel. The vehicles used for their transportation as well as the public transport are diesel-based.
Then why go ahead with such a callous move. It’s an act of insensitivity by those who are accustomed to sitting in air-conditioned rooms and without any worries about how prices of items such as vegetables, rice, pulses etc would be affected.
Reports also say that the rise in prices of kerosene would add to the economic miseries of the people living in the far-flung areas, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, wherein facilities of gas and LPG are not easily available. Experts say that high-speed diesel is also used in thermal power houses for power generation. This means that power rates will also further rise when Nepra unveils its new power tariff under the fuel adjustment formula on a monthly basis.
That thing called shame certainly does not exist among the managers of this country. Otherwise, such ridiculous steps wouldn’t have been taken.
At a time when the government should be providing relief to the flood-devastated nation, the government is bent upon making lives more difficult. The masses can gauge the government’s efficiency and intent through its decisions.

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