Lahore, Pakistan, April 4 (ANI): As petrol prices climb amid the West Asia crisis, students and daily commuters in Lahore say the burden is becoming unbearable.
Several students, including Ali Hassan, Mohammed Saleem and Mohammed Zubair, described mounting stress over transport costs. One student said petrol is likely to rise further and added that, as learners with limited means, they feel powerless to respond. They reported that meeting everyday expenses has become harder and that even short trips are increasingly difficult to afford.
Two-wheelers have traditionally been the cheapest option for students, but rising fuel bills threaten that lifeline. The students warned they may soon have to stop using their motorcycles and leave them parked at home because running them will be too expensive. They urged the government to consider targeted relief or allowances to help students cope.
Their frustrations mirror a wider public outcry. Lawmakers in the National Assembly staged a fierce protest that prevented a 90-point agenda from being taken up, after angry opposition members reacted to a dramatic fuel-price increase reported by Dawn. The government announced a record 43 percent rise in petrol prices and a 55 percent hike in high-speed diesel (HSD). The revised rates were set at PKR 458.4 per litre for petrol and PKR 520.35 per litre for HSD.
Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah adjourned the sitting without completing scheduled business, which had included question hour, a calling attention notice on solar net metering policies, and several bills.
Authorities attributed the sharp spike to a global fuel crunch linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and ordinary Pakistanis from Lahore to Karachi say they are already feeling the effects.
(This report is from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or content of the syndicated material.)
