KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers staged an unusual protest against rising petrol prices on Thursday, arriving at the Sindh Assembly on donkey carts, ARY News reported.
PTI MPA Sajjad Ali Soomro and other party lawmakers reached the assembly while carrying placards and chanting slogans against the increase in petroleum prices. A similar demonstration was also held outside the assembly on September 18.
The lawmakers said rising inflation had already placed a heavy burden on the public, while those in power continued to incur what they described as excessive expenditure.
They argued that if the government was urging citizens to adopt austerity measures, the prime minister and his family should also lead by example.
The PTI lawmakers also sought an explanation from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz regarding an aircraft they claimed was worth Rs11 billion.
They maintained that austerity measures should begin with those holding positions of power rather than imposing additional financial pressure on ordinary citizens.
The lawmakers said an austerity policy could not be effectively implemented while simultaneously increasing the economic burden on the public.
The demonstration came days after the Sindh Assembly passed a PTI-backed resolution calling for an end to frequent increases in petroleum prices and demanding greater price stability for consumers.