Dr. Yasmin Raashid advisor to PTI Chairman said that after Nandipur disaster, the cruel and insensitive Sharif Brothers after fleecing Rs84 billion in the name of gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC) from the poor gas consumers has given green signal to gas utilities to collect Rs101 billion from the gas consumers to cover the cost of commercial loans as well as their mark-up, which will lead to a massive rise in gas prices she added. She said this decision would prove detrimental for the industry, which is already struggling. PML-N government needs to tighten its belt rather than increasing financial burden on the beleaguered consumers she added.
She said it is one of the most degrading and shameful act of PML-N government to force the poor masses of Pakistan to starve their family and deprive the masses of the right of existence and right to live by imposing extra burden on them. She questioned how much more burden Sharif Brothers want to impose on poor segment of the society? People are committing suicides due to poverty and hunger she added.
PTI Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said this is what happens when you are indebted by IMF as they then dictate your home affairs. It has been just fifteen days when PML-N government increased the gas tariff to 67 per cent and now this Rs 101 billion extra burden shows complete disconnect of ruling from the public she added. She said IMF is here to destroy Pakistan not to help as IMF policies continue to make life miserable for people of Pakistan. And unfortunately Sharif Brothers have become yes men of IMF she added. She said Ishaq Dar Sharif Family accountant cum country???s finance minister is not only competent but a real wizard, but only for bulging his own accounts and this is the reason he has been around for the last 30 years and Pakistan has gone down. Unfortunately Pakistan is a country where ruling elites does not pay taxes and it is always the poor and marginalized countrymen who have to bear the burden she added. She said the gas infrastructure cess (GIDC) was imposed to build Iran-Pakistan gas pipelines. Sharif Brothers after American pressure have laid off the project but continue to fleece money from the gas consumers on the name of GIDC she added.