ISLAMABAD, JUN 19 (DNA): Chairman of Rawal General and Dental Hospital and Rawal Foundation, and head of the Pakistan Awami Quwat Party, Khakan Waheed Khawaja, has welcomed the government’s decision to reduce petroleum prices and urged authorities to provide further relief by cutting fuel prices even more.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Khawaja said that if the government is genuinely committed to improving the lives of ordinary citizens, it should further reduce the prices of petrol and diesel. He noted that the sharp increase in petroleum prices over the past months had driven the cost of essential commodities to unprecedented levels, placing an unbearable burden on low-income families.

He stressed that the recent reduction in fuel prices should be followed by a comprehensive mechanism to ensure that the benefits are passed on to the public. According to him, the government must introduce an effective monitoring system to bring down the prices of daily-use items and prevent profiteering.

Khawaja also called for an immediate reduction in public transport fares, arguing that lower fuel costs should translate into lower transportation expenses for citizens. He urged the authorities to restore the prices of essential commodities to the levels that existed before March 7, saying that people have yet to receive the full benefit of the decline in petroleum prices.

While acknowledging that the cumulative reduction of Rs74 per litre in petrol prices has provided some relief, he maintained that greater reductions are necessary to create meaningful ease for the poor and middle classes. He emphasized that only substantial relief measures would help struggling households cope with rising living costs and improve their standard of living.