Islamabad, April 6. Protests and rallies were held in Karachi, Jacobabad, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and several other parts of Sindh province in Pakistan against the recent increase in petroleum prices and rising inflation, local media reported on Monday.
The Sindh United Party (SUP) in Sukkur held a protest outside the local press club on Sunday. A large number of party workers participated in the protests, wearing shrouds (kafans) and observing a hunger strike, as reported by Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn.
Addressing the protesters, SUP leader Eidan Jagirani criticized the government's recent increase in petrol prices, emphasizing that "inflation" had been unleashed, making essential food items unaffordable for the working class.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers held a protest at the same venue.
The Awami Tehreek organized a rally from Teer Chowk to Ghanta Ghar in Sukkur, followed by a sit-in. Awami Tehreek leaders Ahmed Katiar and advocate Sarwan Jatoi accused the government of using the West Asia conflict as a pretext to raise petrol prices to PKR 378 and diesel to PKR 520 per liter. The speakers criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, terming recent subsidy announcements "cosmetic measures" aimed at discouraging public resistance.
Similarly, the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) organized a joint demonstration in Karachi, which saw the participation of workers and representatives from various political and human rights organizations. Participants carried placards demanding the abolition of the petroleum levy and a corresponding increase in line with the current cost of living.
Labour leaders, including Nasir Mansoor and Zahra Khan, rejected the economic frameworks of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, urging the government to defer foreign debt repayments and withdraw free fuel entitlements for officials, as reported by Dawn.
The Aam Insan Tehreek organized a bicycle rally to showcase the difficulties faced by people in accessing motorized transport in Jacobabad. Movement leaders, including Syed Ali Shah and Altaf Mirani, stated that the authorities had "stolen from the poor." They urged the government to reduce its "royal" expenditures and official protocols instead of burdening the people.
On April 3, the Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan staged a protest at Karachi Press Club against the fuel price hike, calling it "unjustified" and warning that it imposed an additional financial burden on the public.
According to the rights body, a large number of citizens, civil society members, and activists participated in the protest, expressing serious concern over the continuous rise in fuel prices and its direct impact on inflation and the cost of living.
"The speakers collectively demanded that the government take immediate steps to control inflation and provide relief to the masses. They warned that if such anti-public measures continue, the protest movement will be further expanded," the HRC of Pakistan said.