Islamabad, May 9 The Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan on Saturday strongly condemned the recent increase in petroleum product prices in the country, calling it a “direct assault” on the public.
The remarks came after the Pakistani government again increased the petrol prices by Pakistani Rs14.92 per litre and those of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs15 per litre on Friday.
According to the Petroleum Division’s press release, the revised rates – Rs 414.78 per litre for petrol and Rs 414.58 for HSD – came into effect on Saturday.
“This increase is not merely a change in numbers but a direct assault on the daily lives of millions of poor, working-class, and middle-class families. For the people already crushed under the burdens of inflation, unemployment, and low income, this decision is intolerable. When fuel becomes expensive, it's not just vehicles that come to a halt; the prices of flour, lentils, vegetables, milk, medicines, and other essentials also start touching the skies,” the HRC of Pakistan stated.
“This decision is proving to be particularly devastating for rickshaw drivers, daily wage labourers, transport workers, students, and the white-collar class. The poor man is now not only under economic pressure but also grappling with severe mental stress, helplessness, and fear of the future,” it added.
The rights body called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately reverse the increase in the petroleum product prices and provide urgent relief to the public by reducing the unnecessary privileges enjoyed by the elite class.
It demanded an end to the arbitrary hike in transport fares and essential commodity prices, urging the government to prioritise “human compassion and public hardships” in economic decisions.
“Human rights are not confined to speeches and resolutions. They are the fundamental right of every citizen to live a dignified and secure life,” the HRC of Pakistan noted.
Last month, following another hike in petroleum product prices in Pakistan, the rights body severely criticised the move, describing it as an "economic suicide attack" on the public.
Expressing grave concern, the HRC of Pakistan said that the repeated surge in fuel prices is not merely a "numerical change" but "an invitation to the storm of inflation that has already broken the back of the common man".
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