 "Pak's Oppn says increase in power, petrol prices economic murder of people")
Pakistan's opposition party has slammed Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government and said the rise in power tariff and petrol prices is the "economic murder" of the people, local media reported on Monday.
Ahead of the anti-government long march scheduled for February 27, the Pakistan Peoples Party chairman said that after an increase of Rs 4 in power tariff, prices of petroleum products had now been raised by more than Rs 3 per litre, Dawn newspaper reported.
"This was economic murder" of the people committed by the present coalition government of PTI," Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that the PPP's long march was aimed at saving people from inflation and economic crisis.
"Inflation and unemployment must end, it had become all the more necessary to get rid of the present government," he said, adding that people would leave for Islamabad on February 27 from every corner of the country to hold Imran Khan accountable for the unprecedented inflation, as per Dawn.
The PPP chairman said that the increase in prices of petroleum products after those of gas and electricity was tantamount to robbing people. The government, he said, had mortgaged citizens to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan's decisions were now being made abroad.
He said Imran Khan would have to face the wrath of the people from February 27 for increasing electricity and petrol prices.
The year-on-year increase in inflation in recent months is mainly driven by soaring prices of fuel, electricity, house rent, transport, and non-perishable food items.