ISLAMABAD: Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif has asked nation, especially traders’ community, to adopt austerity measures as a cultural norm to reduce wastage of fuel and electricity amid soaring economic challenges.
He was speaking at a joint press conference flanked by Minister of State for Petroleum Division Senator Dr. Musadik Masood Malik, Advisor to PM Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Qamar Zaman Kaira and Minister for Communications and Postal Services Maulana Asad Mehmood.
Defence Minister urged the nation to support the government for achieving normalcy through hard economic decisions. He asked the traders to must accept new timings of closure decided by the federal cabinet to reduce electricity consumption and fuel usage which would benefit the common masses.
Defence Minister said due to Ukraine war fuel prices have been risen at global level and countries with fewer resources are directly affected due to global inflation.
Khawaja Asif emphasised on a united effort to face the current crisis in the country. The defence minister said that a huge amount of electricity can be saved if people start their businesses early in the morning and close by Maghrib prayers. He said that saving electricity means saving oil.
“Neither will we have to use expensive oil that much and nor will the consumers have to bear the burden of expensive electricity if we do this,” he said, adding that it is just a fundamental change that people need to bring to their lives.
Khawaj Asif went on to say that Pakistan will have to see what others around it are doing. He said that 3,500 megawatts of electricity can be saved through this method and the amount will go over 4,000 MW if Karachi also follows it.
He, however, said that the traders are currently not willing to accept the suggestion. “They accepted this during COVID-19 due to the fear of the virus,” he said.
The minister urged the government to impose the restriction with all its will and the people to accept it.
“It will benefit the common man and acquisition of commodities at lower prices would become a possibility.”
He said that the government will take the responsibility to lessen the inflation and difficulties of a common man. He said that the fuel prices would go down if the Russian-Ukraine war stops.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik said coalition government has taken difficult decision to increase the fuel prices in the context of national security.
Minister for Communication Maulana Asad Mehmood said the government is working on emergency basis to stabilize the country’s economy and it is committed to raise the living standard of common man.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira said the country may head towards default in case government did not increase the fuel prices. He said government is providing targeted subsidy to save poor segment of the society from the impact of rising fuel prices.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said that “we must change our habits and unite” while responding to the latest petrol price hike.
“With a heavy heart, the government had to make an extremely unwanted decision,” Kaira said, adding that the money from the national treasury started draining due to subsidies as the fuel prices increased when the incumbent government took charge.
He said that the experts and media were asking why the government was not making immediate decisions to stop the decline. He said that the government tried to avoid putting burden on the people and find a way to cushion them against the blow but it had no choice except to take tough decisions.
The politician appreciated that the public accepted the government’s decision with a little protest.
He criticised the former finance and federal ministers saying that those who signed contracts with the IMF were saying that the fuel prices will exceed Rs300 and subsidies will have to be abolished. He said that they were correct because they knew the details of the contracts.
“No government wants to become unpopular among the people but what choice do we have?” he asked. “Whether to become Sri Lanka or to make efforts to steer out of this crisis.” He said that only Pakistan is not facing such crises but the entire world’s economy is suffering.
“A labourer who avails Rs80 subsidy for one litre petrol while a land cruiser owner takes Rs8000 subsidy on 100 litre petrol. Can such a subsidy be continued?” he asked.