ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session on Friday was disrupted and could not take up its scheduled agenda after opposition lawmakers staged a strong protest against the recent sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices.
As soon as the session began, members from the opposition benches, including PTI and other parties, stood up and raised slogans against the government. They demanded an immediate rollback of the fuel price hike.
The protest forced Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah to adjourn the sitting for some time. When the session resumed, the opposition continued its noisy protest, preventing any meaningful discussion on the agenda.
Opposition Demands Reversal of Price Hike
Opposition lawmakers criticised the government for the massive increase in fuel prices announced on Thursday. They argued that the hike would badly affect the common man, transporters, and farmers, and would further fuel inflation.
PTI lawmakers chanted slogans and demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif come to the House and explain the decision. Some opposition members also submitted adjournment motions on the issue.
The government side, however, defended the move. They blamed the sharp rise in global oil prices due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and said the government had tried to delay the impact as long as possible.
Targeted Subsidies Announced
Earlier, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah had announced some relief measures, including subsidies for motorcyclists, farmers, and transporters. However, the opposition rejected these as insufficient and continued to demand a complete reversal of the price increase.
The National Assembly could not take up any legislative business or other important matters due to the prolonged protest.
The session was later adjourned till Monday.
