The recent increase in petrol and diesel prices has drawn strong criticism from ordinary citizens, political parties, and legal activists who termed the government’s move anti-people.

The decision has also been challenged in the Lahore High Court.

Azhar Siddique of the Judicial Activism Panel filed a petition, calling the government’s decision to increase petrol prices by Rs55 per litre both illegal and against the public interest.

The petition claims that the increase will increase the costs of transport, electricity, food items, and agricultural products.

It also notes that oil marketing companies have a 15-day stock of fuel, making the hike unnecessary.

The petition urged the court to seek details from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the Ministry of Energy and to declare the price increase notification void.

Political leaders also voiced strong opposition to the price hike.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Secretary-General Humayun Khan said the decision imposes a heavy economic burden on the public, particularly during Ramazan, and constitutes an injustice to ordinary citizens.

He warned that the increase would trigger a new wave of inflation and urged the government to roll back the hike.

Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Special Assistant for Information Shafi Jan described the Rs55 per litre increase as “tantamount to oppression of the already struggling public.”

He said daily wage earners and salaried citizens are already struggling to meet basic needs, and the hike would further squeeze household budgets, raise the cost of essentials, and make life more difficult.

Meanwhile, Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, called on the federal government to reduce levies and taxes on petroleum products.

In a post on X, he criticised the increase as “catastrophic” and unfairly imposed on the public, noting that global oil prices had recently fallen to a five-year low.

He said the government should have passed relief to consumers instead of raising petroleum levies, and called the move to shift the burden entirely on to citizens “unacceptable.”