Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has clarified that another Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was supposed to announce the latest petrol price hike, but he had to take over at the insistence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A few hours prior to the announcement, Miftah had announced on a TV show that he would not be making any more petrol price related television appearances.
Miftah issued the clarification on Twitter in response to a video clip of his earlier statement on the TV show, in which he can be seen saying that he will not be appearing on television again that night, in response to a question about whether prices would be increasing again the next day (Friday).
Speaking to journalist Arifa Noor on Dawn, he said, “It is said whenever Miftah Ismail comes on TV, petrol prices go up. But I will not be appearing on television after this [show].”
He said that the decision to raise the prices by July 1 would be taken by the government, and he had no knowledge of this decision, nor did he plan on going on TV to make this announcement.
I was not supposed to go on tv last evening to announce this. Another colleague was supposed to do this. But PM sahib decided that Musadik Malik and I should do that. https://t.co/M8xv3GWtXL
— Miftah Ismail (@MiftahIsmail) July 1, 2022
Regarding the International Monetary Fund suggested petrol levy of Rs. 50, he said that there were plans to impose it ‘gradually’ without any deadline.
However, just a few hours after the show aired at 7 PM, Miftah Ismail and Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik came on TV at 11 PM to announce further petrol price hikes, effective from midnight.
This latest price hikes sees petrol at Rs 248.74/litre, diesel at Rs 276.54/litre, kerosene oil at Rs 230.26/litre, and light diesel oil at Rs 226.15/litre.
