Traders in Pakistan have warned the government of a nationwide protest if the increase in petroleum prices is not withdrawn, while also calling for an end to the ongoing crackdown on bakers (naanbai), local media reported on Sunday.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club, All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajran President Ajmal Baloch stated that traders cannot be called "thieves and robbers," emphasizing that the business community is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, according to Dawn, Pakistan's leading daily.
Baloch stressed that bakers cannot be expected to sell bread at lower prices, while they are buying flour at higher prices, and called for dialogue with stakeholders to determine fair prices for naan and roti. He requested the government to release all arrested traders.
Baloch said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was calling for austerity, while these principles were not being followed at the top. He called for an end to free fuel, electricity, gas, and official vehicles for the elite in Pakistan.
He termed the crackdown on bakers, despite a court order, as "oppressive and illegal," and asked who would take action against officials responsible for breaching the law.
The President of the Capital Naanbai Association, Sajjad Ali Abbasi, accused the authorities of being unfair towards traders.
"We are already struggling due to soaring costs. The price of a flour bag has surged from Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 8,000 to PKR 12,000, while we have to use LPG due to gas shortages, and the price of a cylinder has risen from PKR 8,000–10,000 to over PKR 21,000," he said.
He said that bakers were trying to keep bread prices reasonable despite the rise in the prices of LPG cylinders and flour. He claimed that several traders were arrested during the recent crackdown.
He warned that bakers in Islamabad will hold a sit-in outside the deputy commissioner's office along with their families if the government does not change its approach.
The statement of traders and bakers comes after the Pakistan government announced a sharp increase in fuel prices, with petrol rising by 43 per cent and high-speed diesel (HSD) by 55 per cent.
The price of petrol has been raised by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 137.23 per litre from PKR 321.17 to PKR 458.41, while the price of HSD has been increased by PKR 184.49 per litre from PKR 335.86 to PKR 520.35, Dawn reported. The price of kerosene has been raised by PKR 34.08 to PKR 457.80.
Petroleum levy rates were adjusted to limit the rise in diesel prices and their effect on transportation and freight costs. The levy on petrol was raised to PKR 160 per litre from PKR 105, while it was reduced to zero on diesel from PKR 55, sources told Dawn.