ISLAMABAD : Feeling heat of public wrath , two provincial governments on Friday moved to cut down up to 40 % oil facility of their officials. The Khyber Pukhtunkhaw (KPK) government of Mahmood Khan was the first to take the lead on the issue . It, in the morning, announced to cut oil facility for all government officials in KPK up to 35 % forthwith to cut down non development expense of the province . Mahmood Khan government issued a notification to this effect in the evening also.
The KPK government was followed by Sindh government with an announcement of cutting down oil facility of its officials by 40 %. The provincial government of Murad Ali Shah, however, is yet to issue a notification to this effect . One hopes, Sindh government will not delay issuance of its notification to this effect .
Although the federal government also felt that the people are not in a mood to bear alone the brunt of two major jumps in the petroleum product prices and were questioning the facility of free petrol for senior government officials, generals and judges and it needs some steps to cool down the public anger like cutting down of oil facility for the government officials. It did made some announcements for reduction of free oil facility of federal government officials, but no practical step was taken by it in this regard.
Prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif, who is busy in having joyful visits to other countries may lack sense to understand as how seriously two consecutive petrol bombs have damaged to the people of Pakistan, particularly, low income group and daily wagers.
The Punjab government run by Hamza Shahbaz , son of the prime minister , instead coming to some conclusion that the poor of this country were not ready to accept extra ordinary facilities to the senior officials of the government when they are under huge and perhaps unbearable pressure of killing inflation, its chief minister was busy in joyful rides in the name of visits to different cities of Punjab. His unprecedented protocol for visit to Gujranwala on Friday in an environment when Pakistan is under huge economic pressure is not only painful, but extremely shameful . Mr Hamza is perhaps not understanding the nature of sensitivity caused by the recent price hikes among public at large and wants to keep enjoying royal protocol in the name of security in this case he has to face serious consequences of his royal style of rule in Punjab.
The people of Pakistan are demanding end of oil facility to all senior government officials, judges and generals so that every one shares bad times confronted with Pakistan. The social media activists are running an effective campaign to press the government to put complete end to free oil facility to every privileged individual including sacred cows when the nation was forced to buy petrol at Rs 210 a liter.
Meanwhile, the people are protesting at different forums to express their anger over recent two major hikes in oil prices and their spiral effect on their lives.
